By-elections: Unofficial results start pouring in as counting underway

By-elections: Unofficial results start pouring in as counting underway

Islamabad/Lahore (Staff Report/Agencies): Unofficial and unconfirmed results have started pouring as polling for the by-elections on thirty five constituencies of the National and Provincial Assemblies across the country ended at 5pm.

The polling was started at 8am and continued till 5pm without any break.

Over 9.9 million ballot papers were printed for the by-polls. The ballot papers handed over to the presiding officers, which were distributed under the supervision of the Pakistan Army.

More than 7,400 polling stations were set up for the by polls. Of these, 1727 categorized as highly sensitive.

Overseas Pakistanis also used their right of vote for the first time in the by-polls.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from Lahore’s NA-124 against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Ghulam Mohiuddin.

In Lahore's NA-131 constituency, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Khawaja Saad Rafique will face Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Humayun Akhtar.

In Karachi's NA-243 constituency, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is likely to give tough competition to PTI.

On the day of the by-polls, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) established a central control room at its headquarters.

The control room remained functional till completion of election results while a separate complaint cell was also established at ECP to receive complaints related with the bye-polls.