23-10-2025

Month: February 2024

US expresses concern over ‘voter suppression, intimidation’ reports in Pakistan

Amid protests against the alleged rigging in the February 8 elections, the United States has expressed concerns over reports of “intimidation and voter suppression” in the polls.

The transparency of the February 8 general elections comes under scrutiny owing to inordinate delays in the results and the suspension of mobile services on the polling day.

The elections last week did not return a clear majority for anyone but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates won 92 National Assembly seats followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Questions have been raised about the fairness of the Feb 8 election both inside Pakistan as well as in major foreign capitals, with Washington having previously said there were “undue restrictions” on freedoms of expression and assembly.

“We are watching this very, very closely,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday, expressing concern about “intimidation and voter suppression.”

“International monitors are still taking a look at those tallies, I’m not going to get ahead of that process,” he added about the vote count.

PTI, JUI-F, JI and other nationalist parties have been holding sporadic protests against alleged rigging and manipulation in different parts of the country.

Besides the US, UK, EU and UN chief Antonio Guterres has also urged Pakistan to probe the rigging allegations and take steps to bring down political tensions in the country.

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Monday rejected that Pakistan will investigate into alleged rigging into Feb 8 general elections under anyone’s pressure.

During a press conference at the PM House, Kakar was asked to comment on demand of the United States and UK to investigate to allegations of rigging and delay in announcement of results.

The interim PM asked whether Pakistan had asked the US to investigate into Capitol Hill riots. “Pakistan is a sovereign state and will not bow to any pressure,” he added.

He observed that other countries and international forums make their assumption and opinions based on fractured information on social media. “If there are any allegation, we will look into them according to our own laws and no demand of any other country,” he said.

This was another disappointing election night for the Conservatives, with two by-election defeats and two gains for Labour.

Not only did they lose Kingswood, where Labour needed a relatively modest 11-point swing. They also lost Wellingborough, where an 18-point swing was required for the seat to change hands.

In the event, the swing in Kingswood was 16.4%. But that was overshadowed by the result in Wellingborough where the swing was 28.5% – the second highest swing from Conservative to Labour in any post-war by-election.

Big though these swings were, they were not a major surprise. In the second half of last year, the Conservatives lost three seats to Labour thanks in each case to swings of more than 20%.

The standing of the parties in the opinion polls has changed little since then. On average, Labour are still as much as 17 points ahead, little different from where they have been ever since last summer. Consequently, big swings seemed on the cards.

Labour have now made four by-election gains from the Conservatives in this parliament. And while back in May 2021 the Conservatives gained Hartlepool from Labour, the net loss of three seats to Labour equals the three seats the Conservatives lost to Labour between 1992 and 1997.

And those losses, of course, concluded with a heavy defeat for the Conservatives in the 1997 general election.

History is not guaranteed to repeat itself, but between them these two results suggest the Conservatives still have a mountain to climb. Indeed, at the moment, they still seem to be struggling to get even so far as base camp.

The party will be concerned not only by having lost these seats, but also by the scale and manner of its defeats. Its share of the vote fell by a whopping 37.6 points in Wellingborough, the biggest drop the party has ever suffered in a by-election it was defending.

Conservatives must be hoping this was partly a result of what voters felt about the circumstances surrounding the downfall of previous MP Peter Bone.

Meanwhile, the anti-EU, anti-immigration Reform UK party had its best by-election performances by far – winning 13% in Wellingborough and 10% in Kingswood.

These performances are consistent with polling that has recorded a marked increase in the party’s support in recent months.

According to the polls, most of the party’s support is coming from the Conservatives. For every voter who has switched since 2019 from Conservative to Labour, there is another one that has switched to Reform UK.

True, not all of Reform’s support is coming from those who might otherwise have voted Conservative if Reform were not standing. Nevertheless, Tory MPs will now be even more concerned that the determination of Reform’s leader, Richard Tice, that his party should contest all Tory-held seats could cost them dearly.

To fend off this threat, MPs on the right of the party are likely to increase the pressure on Rishi Sunak to ensure that some asylum seekers are flown to Rwanda sooner rather than later.

After a torrid week, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be glad of some very good news. He still looks on course to be Britain’s next prime minister.

However, these were by-elections where voters’ discontent with the Conservatives was seemingly not matched in equal measure by its enthusiasm for Labour.

In both Kingswood and Wellingborough, the increase in Labour’s share of the vote was half the fall in Conservative support, underlining how many discontented Tories are going elsewhere.

Labour’s ten-point majority in Kingswood is less than it enjoyed in the seat at each of the 1997, 2001, and 2005 elections, though in Wellingborough the party was on a par with what it achieved when it won the seat in 1997 and 2001.

But apart from the gains and losses, there was another message from the ballot boxes. Voters are not rushing to go to the polls.

Turnout was down in Kingswood by 34 points compared with 2019, the fourth biggest drop since the last general election.

Although the drop in Wellingborough was, at 26 points, somewhat less, the 38% turnout was very different from the near 70% turnout recorded when the constituency last had a by-election in 1969. So high a turnout in a by-election now seems inconceivable.

On average, turnout has fallen in all by-elections since 2019 by 28.1 points. This is slightly more than the previous record of 27.8 points in by-elections in the 1997-2001 parliament. That was followed by a record low turnout of 59% in the 2001 general election.

It looks as though engaging the voters will be a challenge for all the parties in the coming months.

  • John Curtice is Professor of Politics, Strathclyde University, and Senior Research Fellow, Scottish Centre for Social Research and ‘The UK in a Changing Europe’. He is also co-host of the ‘Trendy’ podcast.

Nawaz not taking a back seat, insists Maryam after Shehbaz named as candidate for PM’s Office

Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz Wednesday rebuffed the impression that party supremo Nawaz Sharif quit active politics after he nominated his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif for the post of prime minister.

In a post shared on X, Maryam said Nawaz will not only participate in active politics for the next five years but also oversee the PML-N-led governments in Punjab and Centre.

 

The politician, who is nominated for the post of the chief minister of Punjab, said that people gave a clear majority to her party in the three previous governments led by the PML-N supremo.

“… he has made it clear in his election speeches that he will not be a part of any coalition government.”

She added that those who are aware of Nawaz’s nature know his principled stance.

“Shehbaz Sharif and I are his soldiers, bound by his orders and will work under his leadership and supervision. May Allah grant us success. Ameen,” Maryam said.

The PML-N stalwart’s statement comes, as speculations are abuzz regarding the elder Sharif bidding adieu to politics with many on the social media site X, sharing their disappointment over decision to pull out of the race for prime minister and instead nominating his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif.

Nawaz’s former spokesperson Mohammad Zubair took to X to express his disappointment saying: “He was the one who inspired me to join politics. Whatever name I made in politics & positions earned were all due to his confidence. Sad to see him go like this. The votes N got were all due to him but the party did not do justice to him. Was this his last political battle?”

Shehbaz to lead coalition

A day earlier, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb announce on social media platform X that party supremo Nawaz nominated Shehbaz Sharif for the post of prime minister and Maryam Nawaz for the Punjab chief minister.

Her announcement came soon after political parties — PML-N, PPP, MQM-P, PML-Q, IPP and BAP—on Tuesday announced to form government in the Centre on the pattern of last government of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Announcing the six-party alliance for next coalition government in a press conference, after the party heads met at the residence of PMLQ President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said that it was decided to form the government together.

The party heads included Shujaat Hussain, Shehbaz, Asif Zardari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aleem Khan, Chairman and BAP representative Sadiq Sanjrani.

Shehbaz, while offering the ‘Charter of Economy’ and ‘Charter of Democracy’ to political parties, said “I agree with the “forgive and forget’ policy to move ahead and accept the split mandate and grateful to all parties who supported the PML-N.”

Shehbaz said that the phase of talking against each other in the election was over, now the Parliament is about to come into existence, we have to end our differences and take the nation forward. “The economy has to be strengthened and stabilised,” he said.

He said that the IMF agreement gave economic stability to Pakistan, the inflation in Pakistan has to be reduced, the debts of Pakistan have to be reduced, and that the mandate that has come in the elections is recognised by all.

He said the PPP has decided to give the PML-N co-vote we are thankful for this. “Thanks to Asif Zardari, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Shujaat Hussain, Aleem Khan, the parties that have gathered here today have a two-thirds majority. Let’s move forward, move the economy forward, end mutual differences,” he said.

US reiterates call for probe into election rigging allegations in Pakistan

WASHINGTON: The US Department of State has said it is appropriate for the Pakistani state to investigate the allegations of rigging in the general elections.

To a query, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States had called for those allegations to be investigated, The News reported.

“We think that’s an appropriate step to take. That’s our response to questions of irregularities not just in Pakistan, but when we see them anywhere in the world. We think that they’re thoroughly investigated and resolved. And so that – we will continue to call for that.

“But at the same time, it’s clear that the elections in Pakistan were competitive, and we look forward to working with the government, once it’s formed, that the people of Pakistan elected,” he maintained.

To another query, Miller has called the efforts to form a coalition government in Pakistan “ultimately an internal matter”.

“You see this in a number of countries that have parliamentary system of government where no party has established a majority; you see the kind of coalition that is formed, ultimately that is not the decision for the US to make, it’s the decision for Pakistan to make,” the department’s spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday said that it was proud to stand with like-minded democracies as it “consistently convey clearly, both publicly and privately, to the Pakistani government and across the Pakistani political spectrum, the need to respect the will of the Pakistani people, and ensure a transparent election process is critical and is obviously important.”

Responding to a question about election results in Pakistan, the White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that the president was very much aware of it. “Millions of Pakistanis turned out to vote last week, including a record number of Pakistani women, members of religious and ethnic minority groups, and young voters,” she said congratulating the Pakistani people for participating in the elections, including poll workers, civil society members, journalists and election observers who have protected the country’s democratic and electoral institutions.

Israel begins series of air strikes in Lebanon

The military gave no further details of the air strikes, while Lebanese media reported air raids on southern villages including Adchit, Sawwaneh and Shiha­biyeh.

The strikes came hours after fire from Lebanon wounded multiple people in northern Israel, according to medics.

Seven people were wounded, five of them in the town of Safed, the Magen David Adom emergency service said.

An AFP photographer saw medics and troops evacuating a wounded person by military helicopter from Safed’s Ziv hospital.

There was no immediate claim for the rocket launches from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has traded near-daily fire with Israeli troops since the outbreak of the war in Gaza more than four months ago.

Hezbollah chief Seyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday fire from southern Lebanon will end “when the attack on Gaza stops and there is a ceasefire” between the group’s Palestinian allies Hamas and arch foe Israel.

“If they (Israel) broaden the confrontation, we will do the same,” Nasrallah warned in a televised address.

Fears have been growing of another full-blown conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, with tens of thousands displaced on both sides of the border and regional tensions soaring.

Erdogan, Hamas join Cairo talks for Gaza truce

A Hamas source disclosed that a delegation was headed to the Egyptian capital to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators, after Israeli negotiators held talks with the mediators on Tuesday.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an outspoken critic of Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, was also landed in Cairo on Wednesday for talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

CIA Director William Burns had joined Tuesday’s talks with David Barnea, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence service, which Egyptian media said had been mostly “positive”.

US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby described the negotiations as “constructive and moving in the right direction”.

Mediators are racing to secure a pause to the fighting before Israel proceeds with a full-scale ground incursion into the Gaza Strip’s far-southern city of Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians are trapped.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said any military operation “could lead to a slaughter”. The potential for mass civilian casualties has triggered urgent appeals, even from close allies, for Israel to hold off sending troops into the last refuge of Palestinians.

Israeli strikes kill 104 more

As the truce talks go on in Cairo, the Israeli military has kept up its bombardment of Gaza, with strikes on both Rafah and the southern city of Khan Yunis, where there has been heavy fighting.

The Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday that 104 people, mostly civilians, had been killed overnight.

Over the past four months, at least 28,576 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli forces, according to the latest health ministry figures.

Around 130 of an estimated 250 people detained by Hamas during the attack are believed to remain in Gaza, as Israel claims 29 of them are presumed dead.

On Wednesday, around 100 representatives of the Gaza prisoners flew to The Hague to file a “crimes against humanity” charge against Hamas at the International Criminal Court.

Ahead of the Cairo talks, the Israeli group sent the Mossad chief a plea saying the delegation must “not return without a deal”. When asked by reporters whether he believes the Americans among the prisoners were still alive, National Security Council spokesperson Kirby said: “We don’t have any information to the contrary.”

“Labour has changed” – that’s the headline message Keir Starmer’s party have been shouting since the start of the year.

That change means a key threat to the Conservatives, who know that controversies surrounding Labour’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn played into Boris Johnson’s landslide victory in the general election in 2019.

That is why, politically, this week matters.

Two Labour parliamentary candidates, Azhar Ali and Graham Jones, have been suspended. In the case of Mr Ali, it is for apparently making antisemitic remarks at a meeting attended by local Labour politicians.

The hurt caused by antisemitism is obvious, and there is concern about community tensions that are potentially inflamed by the recordings published.

The whole saga is a reminder of the Labour Party’s recent past, which the leadership would like to remain firmly in the past.

And as the key agent of that change, this crisis thrusts Keir Starmer’s leadership into the spotlight in a week that “has not been the party’s finest hour” (to quote Mike Katz, the national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement).

 

Sir Keir made it a personal pledge to eradicate antisemitism from the party. His initial decision not to suspend Rochdale candidate Mr Ali drew on the support he has earned in recent years among the Jewish community.

The party is trying to claim that Sir Keir moved “swiftly” once new revelations about Mr Ali’s comments came to light. Sir Keir has described his eventual decision as “virtually unprecedented”.

But there is frustration in the shadow Cabinet and several Labour MPs believe he should have moved more quickly, raising questions about their leader’s judgement. It was always highly likely that more allegations were going to come to light, and the story was allowed to dominate the news cycle for almost 48 hours before the party withdrew its support.

There are parallels with the party’s announcement last week that it was dropping the £28bn price tag on its programme of green investment.

Uncertainty had been swirling for weeks before the decision eventually came.

Critics of Sir Keir point to a national Savanta poll released on Wednesday morning, which found the Labour lead over the Conservatives fell by seven points in the aftermath of that decision – though it is important not to draw conclusions from just one poll.

Other opinion polls have had the gap between the two parties widening and Labour remain on course for victory in the forthcoming general election as they have consistently over the past year.

It is too soon to know what impact this week has had on voters’ views of the leader.

 

If Keir Starmer does become the next prime minister, the judgement calls he has faced this week may pale in comparison to the decisions he could have to take on behalf of the country.

Whether this is damaging will depend on what message voters take from this whole situation: do they see leadership and tough decisions, or do they see delay and division?

Some will be encouraged that Keir Starmer has taken action to stop supporting a candidate in a by-election the party had a good chance of winning.

Others will be alarmed that antisemitic views continue to exist within the party despite his efforts, and don’t appear to have been reported by those present.

And while it redoubles efforts to eradicate antisemitism, the party has to be sensitive to those voters who want it to go further in its criticism of Israel. The SNP have announced they’ll call for a fresh vote on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza when Parliament returns next week – an issue that has already caused challenges for Labour.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives, themselves hardly united, are keen to make the most of any opportunity to highlight the challenges Labour is facing.

There are by-elections in Kingswood and Wellingborough taking place on Thursday. Both of them were Conservative-held seats. The Labour Party is hoping wins there will help them to change the narrative once again.

Are Zardari, Bilawal at odds with each other?

Tuesday night saw leaders of major political parties in a multi-party news conference in Islamabad including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

The leaders stated that all political parties, including Imran Khan-founded Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), should work together for the country.

Conspicuous in his absence was PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, this being more pronounced since he had announced earlier in the day that the PPP would only help the PML-N get its premier elected and provide the necessary support to legislative business on an issue-to-issue basis.

Bilawal had also rejected the idea of going for a “PDM-2” government and announced pulling out of the candidacy for the prime minister’s post.

Are the father and son at odds with each other over the coalition issue or are they playing good cop-bad cop?

When asked, a senior PPP leader did not agree with the two propositions, saying nothing is intriguing in all this and the matter is a bit technical. Requesting anonymity, the PPP leader said that Asif Zardari is the president of PPP-Parliamentarians and his presence in the press conference to announce the coalition was quite appropriate.

When reminded that in the past, Bilawal had talked about discarding the politics of babas (elders), something that clearly indicated a difference in both leaders’ political views, the PPP leader said that Zardari, in an interview with Geo anchorperson Hamid Mir, had asserted his authority as PPP-P president.

He said that if at all there was a difference of opinion between the two leaders, it was ideological or strategic, and not tactical. According to this PPP leader, this is in fact healthy, as its synthesis will help the party grow. If the nation has thrown up a split mandate, a coalition with other parties is the need of the hour, the leader added.

When asked why Shehbaz Sharif’s name was not announced in the press conference and was revealed through a message on X (formerly Twitter), while Maryam Nawaz was named as a candidate for the Punjab chief minister’s office, a PML-N leader claimed, also on condition of anonymity, that the coalition had left it to the PML-N to name its candidate for the PM. He disagreed with the notion that Shehbaz knew he was going to be named as he expressed his desire for Nawaz Sharif to be the premier.

Meanwhile, on Geo’s special transmission on Tuesday night hosted by Shahzad Iqbal, journalist Hamid Mir said that the PML-N had already decided that Shehbaz would be the prime minister and the PPP had also decided to support a Shehbaz-led PML-N government. According to Mir, Bilawal’s press conference on Tuesday was a reflection of the decisions taken in the CEC meeting.

In the same programme, the PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah told Shahzad that Shebaz had the experience and the skill to negotiate a coalition government. He also said that the PPP and other parties should join the government.

Calling Zardari a wise politician, the PML-N leader said that the PPP would be part of the government with or without ministries but also clarified that neither had the PPP asked for the presidency slot nor had the PML-N made any such commitment.

Clarifying that there is no difference between the stance of Bilawal and Zardari, the PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi told Shahzad in the same programme that the PPP will back the PML-N for the prime minister’s slot, will help with legislation, will vote down legislation it thinks is unfit and will form governments in Sindh and Balochistan.

He said that with or without the PML-N’s support the PPP will be contesting for the positions of the president, the chairman of Senate, and the speaker of the National Assembly.

Imran Khan warns against ‘misadventure’ of forming govt with ‘stolen votes’

With the PPP and PML-N apparently “agreed” on coveted slots of prime minister and president, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday warned against the “misadventure” of forming a government with the “stolen votes”.

Earlier today, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced backing the PML-N’s candidate for the prime minister’s slot, adding that his party would not be a part of the federal government.

Addressing a press conference, Bilawal said he was withdrawing from the candidacy for prime minister’s post as “the PPP doesn’t have the mandate to form the federal government”.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Khan, in his message from Adiala Jail through his family, cautioned against forming the next government with a “stolen” mandate.

“Such daylight robbery will not only be a disrespect to the citizens, but will also push the country’s economy further into a downward spiral.”

His remarks come as PTI-backed candidates have emerged as the largest group by winning over 90 National Assembly seats followed by the PML-N and the PPP with 75 and 54 seats, respectively.

Khan further said that the PTI would never compromise on people’s will;

“I have categorically instructed my party against engaging with any political party that has robbed people’s mandate, including PPP, PMLN & MQM-P.”

He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the people for entrusting the PTI with a resounding “two-third majority”.

“It was heartening to see the massive turnout. The families voting together, including women and children—truly exemplified the essence of democracy,” he added.

“As the people of Pakistan have clearly pronounced their verdict, there is a dire need for democracy and fairness in Pakistan’s elections,” he added.

Khan especially commended PTI’s social media team for its relentless efforts to stay ahead of the curve.

He also appreciated the role of the resilient polling agents who secured Form 45 in the face of “harassment and threats”.

‘Former PDM partners are staging new play’

As power politics is in full swing to form the new government in the Centre, the PTI, earlier today, came down hard on Bilawal’s press conference, saying that the “nation cannot be fooled by the PPP and the PML-N’s political drama of being opponents.

Responding to the PPP’s decision, the Imran-led party alleged that the former Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) partners were staging a new play to deceive the nation after the February 8 nationwide polls.

“Asif Ali Zardari’s son would have been accepting PTI’s mandate and condemning the dishonouring of votes instead of forging nexus with ‘pirates of Jati Umra’,” an official statement issued by the former ruling party read.

PTI to join hands with MWM, JI

The PTI has claimed that the former ruling party, upon directions of its founder, will join hands with Majlis-e-Wahdat-Muslimeen (MWM) to form its governments in Centre and Punjab.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad today, PTI spokesperson Raoof Hasan said that the former prime minister, while ruling out the prospects of any talks with the PML-N, PPP and MQM-P, directed the party to form a coalition with Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over reserved seats.

However, JI leader Professor Ibrahim Khan has denied reports of any alliance with the PTI, saying that there are no moral grounds for the latter to use his party’s name.

Shehbaz Sharif asks PTI to show majority

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said that independent candidates backed by the PTI can form a government in the Centre if they have the required number of seats in the NA.

“If PTI-sponsored candidates can show majority [in the National Assembly] then they are welcome to form a government,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad today.

The PML-N president said his party is ready to sit in opposition if PTI-backed candidates can establish their majority in the lower house of parliament.

“We will accept them [PTI government] happily if they fail to [form government] then we will use our Constitutional and legal right,” the PML-N president said.

Khan picks Gandapur for KP CM slot

The PTI founder nominated former federal minister Ali Amin Gandapur as his party’s candidate for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister.

“KP’s chief minister will be Ali Amin Gandapur,” said the former prime minister while speaking to journalists in jail, where he is currently incarcerated in a number of cases.

Khan, whose party secured 84 seats in the KP, is in a pole position to form the government.

ECP notifies victories of Sharif family, other party members

As per the ECP’s notification the former prime minister has been declared a returned candidate from NA-130 (Lahore), his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif from NA-123 (Lahore), daughter Mar­yam Nawaz from NA-119 (Lahore) and nephew Hamza Shehbaz Sharif from NA-118 (Lahore).

The piecemeal issuance of notifications for publication in the official gazette in deviation of the tradition made many to wonder if those declared successful have submitted details of the election expenses with the Commission.

 

Similarly, PML-N’s Attaullah Tarar was declared successful from NA-127, Lahore.

Under Section 98 of the Elections Act, 2017, after receiving final result from the returning officer, the commission, within 14 days from the polling day, shall publish the name of the winning candidate in the official gazette.

The law, however, says “every returned candidate shall, within ten days from the poll of an election, submit a return of election expenses under section 134 and the Commission shall not notify in the official Gazette the result of a returned candidate who fails to submit his return of election expenses”.

The commission has also declared PML-N leader Attaullah Tarar a winner from NA-127 (Lahore) and Muhammad Awn Chaudhry of IPP from NA-128 (Lahore).

Others whose victory notifications as members of the National Assembly have been issued include Nasir Iqbal Bosal from NA-69 (Mandi Baha­uddin), Chaudhry Armag­han Subhani from NA-70 (Sialkot), Khawaja Asif from NA-71 (Sialkot), Ali Zahid from NA-72 (Sialkot) and Nousheen Iftikhar from NA-73 (Lahore). All five belong to PML-N.

ECP has also notified the victory of PML-N provincial president from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ameer Muqam, from NA-11 (Shangla).

The commission has also issued notifications of some winners of provincial assembly seats from KP and Balochistan. ECP has also issued a notification for polling at six polling stations of NA-43, Tank-cum-D.I. Khan on February 17.

The commission said that polling at these stations could not be held on February 8, owing to bad law and order situation.

In this connection, necessary instructions have been issued to the chief secretary and KP IGP and the law-enforcement agencies, it said.

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