CHAKWAL – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Haider Sultan gained a significant lead in PP-20 Chakwal-I by-election bagging 55,705 votes, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results from 161 polling stations.
Sultan is followed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Tariq Afzal, who has so far bagged 33,554 votes.
The vote count is still undeternined at remaining polling stations.
The seat fell vacant on October 30 after the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) MPA Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan died.
Voting started at 8am and continued until 5pm on Tuesday.
The by-election has been a test for the ruling party as the constituency has long been a PML-N stronghold and is expected to serve as a curtain-raiser for the general elections later this year.
According to Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 227 polling stations were set up for the 279,538 registered voters. Five polling stations were declared highly sensitive and 45 others as sensitive.
Out of 814 polling booths, 393 were set up for women and 421 for men.
Rangers and police personnel remained deployed at sensitive polling stations in order to prevent any untoward situation.
