News

By Yaqoob Malik

ATTOCK: Jahangir Khanzada, son of the slain home minister of Punjab Col (retd) Shuja Khanzada, stomped home to victory on Tuesday in the by-election of PP-16 Attock-II. A massive outpouring of sympathy decided the outcome of the vote, according to political observers.

As per unofficial results, Jahangir Khanzada polled over 41,700 votes, whereas his nearest opponent, an independent candidate, received a measly 4,420 votes.

Voting is underway on Tuesday for by-elections on PP-16 provincial assembly seat in Punjab's Attock district.

The polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any pause.

The PP-16 seat fell vacant after the killing of Punjab home minister Shuja Khanzada in a suicide attack on Aug 16.

Only two candidates are contesting for by-polls in the PP-16 constituency, which are being held under the supervision of army and Rangers.

Amjad Mahmood | Mansoor Malik

Electioneering for the Oct 11 by-elections for the NA-122 Lahore seat reached its peak on Sunday as the main rivals — the ruling PML-N and opposition PTI — held public meetings in the same neighbourhood, Samanabad.

The seat fell vacant after an election tribunal’s decision against PML-N’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq who was then speaker of the National Assembly.

Hanif Samoon.-

A fire in the Tando Muhammad Khan Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office has damaged three rooms and an office storeroom, where ballot boxes and old records were kept, ECP staff said.

ECP official Abdul Qadeer Rajput said the fire had destroyed old records, literature and upcoming local body election records, while records in other rooms had been salvaged. He added that efforts were under way to control the blaze.

Fawad Ali.-

After signing an agreement to join the government, the Qaumi Watan Party is poised to become the strongest coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. It also stands to gain a ministry or two in the bargain.

Amir Wasim.-

A sub-committee of the parliamentary committee on poll reforms on Tuesday suggested that laws should be amended to make violation of the code of conduct by candidates or political parties during the elections as an “offence”.

This was disclosed by chairman of the sub-committee Zahid Hamid while talking to a group of reporters after presiding over a meeting here on Tuesday.

Abid Fazil Abbasi.-

With only three days (Oct 3) left to file nomination papers for local government elections, political parties in Murree stand confused.

Their candidates are not clear whether they should file papers for the old municipal committee or the new municipal corporation.

As many as 21 petitions and appeals have been filed with the delimitation authority against the January 5 decision of the government to convert Murree into a municipal corporation. All were dismissed without a hearing.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday issued the election schedule for the third phase of local government election to be held on Dec 3 in Karachi division.

According to the schedule, polling will be conducted on Dec 3 if polling date is not advanced by the ECP due to the Chehlum of Imam Hussain on the day.

In the third phase, the LG elections would be held in six districts of Karachi division — West, East, South, Central, Korangi and Malir.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the sidelines of the 70th UNGA Session in New York, where he urged for a plebiscite in Kashmir, stressing on the need for implementation of the United Nation’s Security Council resolution in this regard.

The premier also raised the issue of tensions between Pakistan and India, including ceasefire violations on the Line of Control and the Working Boundary.