PML-N candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar has won NA 168 Bahawalpur by-elections with big margin against his rival an independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema, reported 24NewsHD TV Channel.
According to an unofficial results of 292 polling stations, PML-N candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar got 79306 votes while runner up candidate Wali Dad Cheema managed to obtained 42623 votes.
Amid tight security arrangement, counting of votes was completed for Bahawalpur's National Assembly constituency NA-168 by-election. The NA seat got vacant following the death of former MNA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar. His son, Malik Munir Iqbal Channar, is contesting the by-election on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket. Wali Dad Cheema is the son of former federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema.
Voting started at 8am in the morning and continued til 5pm as per schedule without break and overall polling process remained peaceful as no complain was reported from any polling booth.
According to ECP officials, more than 483,000 registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots in the constituency. The main contest is between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar and independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema.
Election authorities have established 292 polling stations for the vote, with 896 polling booths. The arrangements include separate facilities for male and female voters, as well as combined polling stations. The constituency has 248,529 registered male voters and 234,614 female voters, according to election-related data.
Security has been tightened across the constituency. Rangers personnel are among those assigned to election security, while quick-response teams of the armed forces have also been kept available as a reserve for the district administration.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has boycotted the by-election, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) withdrew its candidate and announced support for Malik Munir Iqbal Channar.
Reporter: Mehmood Zaheer