Independent candidate Mubarak Zeb wins both NA-8, PK-22 seats

PESHAWAR: A young independent candidate supported by workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) defeated his rivals -- nominated by the ruling Sunni Ittehad Council/PTI -- in the NA-8 Bajaur and PK-22 Bajaur by-elections conducted a day earlier.

Mubarak Zeb, the younger brother of a committed PTI worker Rehan Zeb, who was killed just before the February 8 general elections, secured 74,002 votes in the by-polls. Former MNA Gul Zafar, the candidate nominated by SIC/PTI, got 47,282 votes.

Akhundzada Chatan of PPP secured 4,060 votes, independent Shaukat Ullah 20,020 votes, Shahab Uddin of PMLN 6,469 votes, Khan Zeb of ANP 12,015 votes and Haroon Rashid of Jamaat-e-Islami got 18,416 votes.

There were a total of 366 polling stations in the constituency. The turn-out remained 28.04 percent. A number of PTI leaders held rallies in Gul Zafar’s support during the election campaign while many workers voluntarily campaigned for Mubarak Zeb to pay tribute to the slain Rehan Zeb.

Mubarak Zeb also won the PK-22 Bajaur seat where the polls were postponed as well. He secured 23,386 votes followed by 10,473 of Abid Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami and 7,063 of Gul Dad of SIC.

In NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s brother and SIC candidate Faisal Amin Gandapur won the polls. He secured 66,879 votes while the runner-up was Abdul Rashid Kundi of Pakistan People’s Party with 21,979 votes. There were 19 candidates in the run from the constituency. The turnout remained 24.5 percent.

As many as 358 polling stations were set up in NA-44. These included 126 for male voters, 115 for women and 117 polling stations combined. The seat was vacated by Chief Minister Gandapur, who had defeated JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the February 8 elections.

The JUIF boycotted the by-polls.

Daud Shah of SIC won in PK-91 Kohat with 23,496 votes against the 16,518 secured by independent candidate Imtiaz Shahid. Out of the four seats, the SIC won two seats while the independent, also backed by the workers of PTI, won one NA and one PK seat each.