Dr Shehzadof PTI wins Senate by-poll

LAHORE: PTI candidate Dr Shehzad Waseem on Wednesday was elected as Senator in a by-poll held on a vacant seat of Punjab, as he defeated PML-N's Khawaja Ahmed Hassan with a margin of 12 votes.

Dr Shehzad with the support of allies -- including PML-Q, a party with 10 MPAs (9 cast votes and one remained absent), and Rah-e-Haq Party which has one seat in the Punjab Assembly -- emerged victorious while bagging 181 votes. Ahmed Hassan bagged 169 votes, which included seven MPAs of PPP, as the PML-N candidate claimed getting three extra votes from its collective strength in the House.

The seat was vacated by Chaudhry Sarwar who got elected in March this year but later took oath as Punjab governor. Out of the current 353 members of the House, 351 MPAs cast their vote whereas one was rejected. Two MPAs remained absent.