UPPER DIR (Staff Report) – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Sahibzada Sanaullah on Tuesday clinched a historic victory in Jamaat-e-Islami’s stronghold PK-93 Upper Dir in by-election, according to unofficial results.
PPP’s Sanaullah bagged 21,788 votes in all 120 polling stations whereas the Jamat-e-Islami candidate Azam Khan remained second with 14,617 votes. An overall voter turn out was recorded to be 34% in the by-poll.
As many as four candidates including two independents, Jamshed Khan and Shah Faisal, have been in the run for by-poll. Jamat-e-Islami’s Azam Khan was further backed by Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) whereas PPP’s Sahibzada Sanaullah also enjoyed support of Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam-Fazal group.
It is also pertinent to be mentioned here that women also came out of their houses to cast votes in PK-93 for the first time in last 40 years.
The seat went vacant upon disqualification of former MPA Behram Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami for holding a fake degree in July this year.
