PTI clean sweeps twin cities

Islamabad : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured comfortable win from all three National Assembly seats of the federal capital and Rawalpindi while Shaikh Rashid Ahmad of Awami Muslim League also defeated his PML-N opponent from NA-62.

Despite slow polling process average turnout in two out of three constituencies of Islamabad was registered at around 55% but in NA-52 Islamabad touched record percentage of 64.26%.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan handed big defeat to former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from NA-53 with a margin nearly 50,000 votes. A tough competition was expected between the two stalwarts but the upcoming Prime Minister sailed through easily.

As per results available from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Imran secured 92, 891 votes while Shahid Khaqan Abbasi managed only 44,314 votes. The PTI chairman won majority polling stations which were set up in urban and rural areas of the constituency where 56.53% turnout was registered.

Asad Umar who is destined to be included in the federal cabinet outclassed his PML-N opponent, Anjum Aqeel Khan, with a margin of nearly 24,000 votes. Asad secured 56,945 against 32,991 votes of Anjum Aqeel. The turnout in this constituency was registered at 54.24%.

In NA-54 Islamabad, Raja Khurram Nawaz defeated former minister of state for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and PML-N president for Islamabad Dr. Tariq Fazal Chauhdhry. The PTI candidate obtained 64,690 votes against 34,072 votes of PML-N leader.

From NA-61 Rawalpindi which mostly includes cantonment area, Amir Mehmood Kiani of PTI who contested the general elections for the first time defeated Malik Ibrar Ahmed of PML-N who was being considered as a strong candidate with margin of no less than 45,000 votes.

Amir Kiani secured 105,000 while Malik Ibrar managed just 60,125 votes. The turnout in this constituency was little over 51%.

According to ECP, the final result of NA-62 was yet to be compiled but Shaikh Rashid Ahmad was said to be far ahead of Danyal Chaudhry thus heading for an easy victory.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had lost to Sadaqat Abbasi of PTI who managed to win in his second attempt. He lost 2013 elections to the same candidate.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan of PTI defeated his traditional rival Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from NA-59 and NA-63.

In PP-16 Raja Rashid Hafeez of PTI defeated Shaikh Arslan Hafeez of PML-N, from PTI Fiazul Hasan Chohan of PTI beat PMl-N candidate Raja Muhammad Hanif denying him a hat-trick from the constituency.

Ejaz Khan Jazi of PTI retained his Punjab Assembly seat beating ex MNA Shakil Awan from PP-18.