PPP leading with huge margin in Tharparkar by-election

SUKKUR: The PPP was expected to retain its NA-221 Tharparkar seat as it was leading with a huge margin in the by-election.

According to the unofficial, preliminary results coming from the 267 polling stations out of total 318 polling stations in NA-221, the PPP candidate, Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jilani, was leading with 92,566 votes. The PTI candidate, Nizamuddin Rahimoon, was runner-up, grabbing 44,586 votes.

Supporters and voters of the PPP candidate celebrated the expected victory of the PPP candidate at Jilani House. In general elections of 2018, the PPP candidate Pir Noor Muhammad Shah Jilani won the seat by securing 79,098 votes against the PTI candidate Shah Mahamood Qureshi, who grabbed 72,127 votes.

A small fire erupted at a polling station in Tharparkar’s Chachro tehsil on Sunday during the by-polls for the district’s NA-221 seat, causing a media frenzy and panic among the voters.

SSP Tharparkar Hassan Sardar Niazi said that the "accidental" fire erupted at polling station no. 126 near Chachro Town and "caused damage to some ballot papers and other material". The official, however, refuted however, media reports that three persons had been detained for arson.

Meanwhile, District Returning Officer Mian Mohammad Shahid said that the damaged ballot papers were quickly replaced and the polling process allowed to resume as soon as possible. He added that the polling process was conducted smoothly in the whole constituency despite reports of scuffles between PTI and PPP voters in different areas.

Addressing a press conference in Chachro, GDA MPA Abdul Razzak Rahimoo and PTI MNA Jai Prakash Lohana alleged that the PPP had defeated Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi through rigging in the 2013 elections and were doing the same this time. They added that the PPP was using government machinery, including the police, to carry out rigging.

On the other hand, the PPP lodged a written complaint to the ECP, alleging that the fire had been started at the polling station "by opponent group". The letter added that "female voters were attacked and harassed" in Jase Jo Par village and asked the ECP to take notice of the incidents. The NA seat had fallen vacant after the death of Pir Noor Muhammad Shah after he had contracted COVID-19 on December 20 last year.