The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the dominant force in Sunday's by-elections, securing most of the contested national and provincial assembly seats across Punjab province according to unofficial results compiled late Sunday evening.
Landslide Victory for PML-N
In a significant political development, PML-N candidates comfortably won multiple constituencies while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a government ally, managed to capture only one Punjab Assembly seat. The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates trailed significantly in constituencies where they chose to contest.
The by-elections covered six National Assembly constituencies including NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-104 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, NA-143 Sahiwal, and NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, along with seven Punjab Assembly seats. Most of these seats became vacant after PTI lawmakers faced disqualification in cases connected to the May 9, 2023 incidents, while one seat fell vacant due to the death of PTI's Mian Azhar.
Constituency-wise Results Breakdown
In NA-129 Lahore, PML-N's Hafiz Mian Muhammad Noman secured a decisive victory with 63,441 votes, defeating PTI-backed independent candidate Chaudhry Arsalan Ahmad who received 29,099 votes.
NA-96 Faisalabad-II witnessed PML-N's Muhammad Bilal Badar Chaudhry, brother of Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, leading with 63,957 votes against independent candidate Nawab Sher who managed 21,067 votes.
In NA-104 Faisalabad-X, PML-N's Daniyal Ahmed, son of former opposition leader Raja Riaz, secured 23,422 votes, comfortably ahead of independent candidate Rana Adnan Javed who received 7,113 votes.
NA-143 Sahiwal saw PML-N's Muhammad Tufail Jutt achieving an overwhelming victory with 136,313 votes against independent Zarrar Akbar Chaudhary's 13,120 votes.
Meanwhile, in NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan, PML-N's Mehmood Qadir Khan Leghari led with 80,725 votes, while PPP's Dost Muhammad Khosa followed with 49,149 votes.
PTI's Limited Participation and Allegations
The PTI had notably boycotted all contests except NA-129 Lahore and NA-18 Haripur. During polling in Lahore's NA-129 constituency, PTI leaders raised serious allegations against authorities, accusing them of blocking their candidate's access to the returning officer's office, removing PTI camps, directing voters to incorrect polling stations, and detaining party workers. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has not immediately responded to these allegations.
In NA-18 Haripur, which fell vacant after the disqualification of PTI's National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan in a May 9-related case, his wife Shehrnaz Omar Ayub contested the by-election. According to state media, PML-N candidate Babar Nawaz Khan secured a clear lead with over 97,000 votes, while Shehrnaz stood second with 68,534 votes.
Security Arrangements and Voter Turnout
More than 20,000 Punjab police personnel were deployed across polling stations, supported by Rangers and army units to ensure peaceful voting. Control rooms monitored the situation throughout the day, with Punjab IGP Dr Usman Anwar reiterating zero tolerance for violations of Section 144, ECP code of conduct, and the ban on weapons at polling stations.
Voter turnout varied across regions, with lower early-morning participation reported in parts of Haripur in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa due to cold weather. Scattered reports indicated slow voting activity in Faisalabad, where mosque announcements urged residents to exercise their voting rights.
The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to release consolidated results once formal counting concludes, providing official confirmation of these preliminary outcomes that signal PML-N's strengthened position in Punjab politics.
