PMLN wins PP-52 Sambrial by-poll

SIALKOT/ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) candidate won the by-election for Punjab Assembly constituency PP-52 Sambrial, Sialkot. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif greeted the winner of PP-52 Sambrial and said the people were supporting the PMLN.

According to unofficial results of all the 185 polling stations in the PP-52 Sialkot by-election, PMLN’s Hina Arshad Warraich won by securing 78,419 votes.

PTI-backed independent candidate Fakhir Nishat Ghuman came in second place with 40,037 votes.

Polling continued from 8am to 5pm in the by-election for the provincial assembly seat PP-52 in Sambrial. There was chaos throughout the day during polling, with workers arguing and shouting slogans, while allegations of rigging were also made.

In a conversation with Geo News, PMLN candidate Hina Arshad said that the people elected her not for politics but for service. “I am standing at this position because of Maryam Nawaz. If the Punjab chief minister had not trusted me, I would not be standing here,” she said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz congratulated Hina Arshad Warraich on her victory in the PP-52 by-election and said that she would fully rely on the trust shown by the people of Sambrial. She said that the success of PMLN is an expression of the people’s confidence in the government’s policies. The people have identified those who serve and those who spread sedition and mischief, the Punjab CM maintained.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram Sunday alleged planned rigging in PP-52, Sambrial, but said that they will not allow the mandate to be stolen again in the constituency, claiming his party was still in the lead.

He told a news conference here that voters in this constituency of Sialkot were with PTI.

Waqas said that this seat was won by PTI on February 8 and PTI is still in the lead today, vowing not to allow the mandate to be stolen again. “That is why people came out since morning, but the goons of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz resorted to hooliganism there,” he charged.

The PTI spokesperson said, “Our people have been thrown out of every polling station; our people have been tortured, PTI people and agents have been thrown out of polling station 37.” He continued that all this is happening there under the patronage of the police, as they are forcibly entering every polling station and casting their votes by stamping their hands.

Waqas claimed that the presiding officer at polling station number 10 confessed to stopping the polling, whereas since last night, containers had been placed outside the office of the returning officer for rigging. He regretted that no check and balance policy has been seen at any station since morning.

He wondered what action the Chief Election Commissioner took on the rigging. He pointed out that the Chief Election Commissioner was continuing despite the completion of his term.

He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has won the Sambrial election and that the people have been intimidated but despite this, the people are siding with the PTI.