PPP-P’s Sardar Bakhsh Mahar wins Ghotki by-election

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) candidate Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar has won the by-election of National Assembly’s seat NA-205 Ghotki, Sindh by securing 89,359 votes, according to unofficial results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Independent candidate Ahmed Ali Khan Mahar, who had support of the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf, finished runners up by securing 70,848 votes. The voting ratio remained 48.20 per cent with total votes cast stood at 173,953 — 69,542 female and 104,411 male voters.

Commenting on his party’s victory in the by-election, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it was a clear message to “puppet politicians”. He thanked Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leadership for its support to the PPP candidate.

“The victory [in Ghotki] has increased a vote of the opposition and reduced one vote from the government’s side. The people of Sindh have always supported democracy and Benazir Bhutto. PPP will never disappoint the nation over showing loyalty.”