Vote counting begins as polling involves an in depth in Rajanpur’s NA-193 by-election – Pakistan
The counting of votes started as polling got here to an in depth for Rajanpur’s NA-193 Nationwide Meeting seat on Sunday.
The NA-193 seat had fallen vacant following the death of PTI’s Sardar Jaffar Khan Leghari in December 2022.
A complete of 11 candidates are contesting within the by-election in the present day. Nonetheless, a troublesome contest is anticipated between PTI’s Mohsin Leghari and PML-N’s Ammar Leghari.
Beforehand, the PTI had nominated its chairman Imran Khan as a candidate. However earlier this month, the previous prime minister withdrew his candidacy in an obvious bid to avert attainable disqualification within the Tyrian White case.
The voting in Rajanpur started at 8am in the present day and continued until 5pm.
The Election Fee of Pakistan (ECP) famous that numerous girls had been current at varied polling stations as voting commenced. It added that voters performing their nationwide obligation was a optimistic improvement.
Based on the ECP, there are 379,204 registered voters within the constituency, of which 206,497 are male and 172,709 are feminine voters.
The fee mentioned 237 polling stations have been established within the constituency. Greater than 200 Punjab Rangers personnel are additionally fulfilling duties as a fast response pressure, it added.
In movies shared by the electoral physique in the present day, quite a few voters could be seen gathered contained in the polling stations.
In the meantime, each the PML-N and PTI tweeted {that a} beneficiant variety of voters have proven up on the events’ camps within the metropolis.
‘Misbehaviour with voters’
PML-N candidate Ammar Leghari has claimed that the presiding officers were misbehaving with voters in Rajanpur and the district administration had refused to support them.
“The administration is not standing with what is right and just,” he said. “They are endorsing the wrong things instead of stopping them.”
Ammar also urged the elections commissioner to take notice of such incidents.
‘We won’t be intimidated’
In a video message shared on PTI’s official Twitter, Mohsin claimed that there was a “huge” difference in the camps of the PTI and other parties. “The enthusiasm and energy here are incomparable.”
He claimed that ever since the polls were first announced in Rajanpur, attempts had been made to manipulate voters.
“But despite this, our people have not been intimidated, and have not given in to pressure,” Mohsin asserted, alleging that both the federal and provincial governments had “pressurised local officials a lot”.
“People were sent to jail … but no one could dampen their enthusiasm and this proves that they have identified with the PTI and will make Imran Khan win,” he added.
‘Security concerns’
Two days before the polling, the interim government of Punjab on Friday requested the commission to postpone the by-election.
The government said that the Dera Ghazi Khan division commissioner has raised security concerns in a letter to the home department. The commissioner also wrote to the ECP requesting postponement over security concerns.
The ECP, in a statement, said the Punjab government’s requested couldn’t be entertained as all arrangements for the by-election were already in place.
It added that the deputy commissioner, Punjab Police, Army and Rangers would be present in the monitoring room and respond to any untoward situation.
The ECP said that central and provincial monitoring rooms would work round the clock to monitor the electoral process.
It said that under Article 220 of the Constitution, every institution was obliged to support the ECP in holding free and fair elections.
The election commission warned that non-cooperation on part of any institution or official would result in action according to the law.
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