Pak bypoll: PTI loses seats vacated by Imran, PML-N improves tally

TIL Desk/World/Islamabad/ Pakistan’s deposed premier Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz recovered some ground in the by-elections by eating up the votes of prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, winning four out of 11 parliamentary seats which went to the polls, according to the results on Monday.

The PTI lost its two seats vacated be Prime Minister Khan. His seat in Lahore was won by former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of the PML-N and in Bannu by of Zahid Akram Durrani of the Muttahida Majlis Aml party. The outcome of the by-election will not impact the federal or provincial government but help reinvigorate the opposition parties.

Polling for 11 National Assembly — the lower house of Parliament — and 24 provincial seats saw a tough competition between the ruling PTI led by Khan and the main opposition PML-N. The PML-N and the PTI won four seats each of the National Assembly whereas Pakistan Muslims League-Quadi won two seats and Muttahida Majlis Amal one seat, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said.

The PTI won 11 seats of the provincial assemblies while the PML-N won seven. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), led by former president Asif Ali Zardari, and Awami National Party won two each and independent candidates grab two seats. The PML-N won six out of 11 contested seats in Punjab while its arch-rival PTI won five. The PML-N also won a provincial assembly seat in Khyber-Pakhtukhwa, which is the stronghold of the PTI.