Proscribed TLP Emerges as Karachites Third ‘Favorite’ in NA-249 by-Poll

In a shocking outcome, proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has emerged as the third favorite party of NA-249 constituency in Karachi after the top two slots in the by-poll were secured by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) respectively.

The preliminary results from 276 polling stations kept PPP’s Abdul Qadir Mandokhel on the top who secured over 16,156 votes. PML-N’s Miftah Ismail followed him in the chase with around 15,500 votes while TLP stayed third in NA-249 by-poll.

The shocking aspect of NA-249 by-poll is the emergence of banned TLP as the third popular party in the constituency as its candidate Nazeer Ahmed received over 11,125 votes.

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The fourth position was bagged by Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal who got around 9,200 votes while ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Inaf (PTI) could convince the voters and remained fifth with around 9,000 votes.

MQM-P candidate Hafiz Muhammad Mursaleen was sixth on the list with over 7,500 votes.

Sindh govt felicitates winner

Sindh government Spokesman Barrister Murtaza Wahab felicitated PPP’s candidate and said that the people of Karachi had shown confidence in the party once again.

He added PPP’s victory will help solve long-standing problems in the constituency.

Criticizing PTI, Murtaza said that people had voted against inflation and the sinking economy.

PTI has disappointed not only the people of the NA-249 but the entire country, he added.

Election was rigged: PML-N

Meanwhile, the election results were dragged in a doom as PML-N accused PPP of rigging the results as its candidate Miftah stayed ahead quite a bit when the tally of ballot papers was underway.

Earlier, she had shared a video of PML-N’s workers celebrating when the counting was underway.

Outside PMLN election office Baldia NA 249 🐅 pic.twitter.com/uO2YEluyYj

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 29, 2021

Further, PML-N President Maryam Nawaz blamed the election was engineered and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must have withheld the results.

Election stolen from PMLN by only a few hundred votes. ECP must withhold the results of one of the most disputed & controversial elections. Even if it doesn’t, this victory will be temporary and will Insha’Allah come back to PMLN soon.
ووٹ کو عزت مل رہی ہے اور مل کر رہے گی

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 29, 2021

She questioned how the counting of ballots could take so long when the voter turnout was around 18%.

“Was it foggy here too that caused staff to reach so late? Do they think we are fools?” she wrote in a tweet referring to the rigging episode in the NA-75 Daska by-poll.

ووٹر ٹرن آوٹ بمشکل 15-18 فیصد اور گنتی کا عمل ساڑھے آٹھ گزرنے کے بعد بھی جاری ؟ یہاں بھی دھند چھا گئی تھی کہ عملہ اتنی تاخیر سے پہنچا؟ بےوقوف سمجھ رکھا ہے کیا؟

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 29, 2021

She congratulated Miftah Ismail over resounding victory which she believes would come soon to him.

PML-N’s Muhammad Zubair and ex-Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi raised questions on the delay in the results citing the lower voter turnout in the poll.

PTI, MQM-P follow footsteps

Subsequently, PTI and MQM-P have also rejected the results of the by-poll.

PTI’s Khurrum Sher Zaman said that the results were rigged through ECP and police.

تحریک انصاف نے این اے 249 کے نتائج مسترد کردیے،

انتخابات میں الیکشن کمیشن اور پولیس کے ذریعے دھاندلی کی گئی،

پوری الیکشن مہم میں الیکشن کمیشن کا کردار جانبدار رہا،

الیکشن کمیشن شفاف انتخابات کرانے میں مکمل ناکام رہا ہے، @KhurumSherZaman

— PTI Karachi Official (@PTI_KHI) April 29, 2021

He blamed the role of the commission remained biased throughout the election campaign.

Sher Zaman said that the ECP had failed to organize by-poll fairly and transparently.

He contended that PPP and PML-N were nowhere to be seen in the election campaign but on the election day, both emerged as the top parties.

Sher Zaman said that all surveys showed PTI ahead of other parties. PTI will announce its future action plan tomorrow.

MQM-P Pakistan leader Aamir Khan termed the results as ‘incomprehensible’.

It seems that this is a continuation of 2018 elections when the RTS system failed and the rigging system succeeded, he wrote in his tweet

NA249 کے نتائج میں تاخیر سمجھ سے بالاتر ہے ۔
ایسا محسوس ہوتا ہے کہ یہ 2018 کے الیکشن کا تسلسل ہے جب RTS سسٹم فیل اور دھاندلی سسٹم سرخرو ہو گیا تھا۔۔
آج بھی ایک جماعت کو مخصوص انداز میں ایم کیو ایم پر معمولی سی برتری دلا کر کیا ثابت کیا جا رہا ہے؟#NA249

— Muhammad Amir Khan (@amirkhanMQM90) April 29, 2021

Even today, what is being proved by giving a party a slight lead over MQM?