LAHORE: PML-N’s Dr. Asad Ashraf, running as an independent, won the by-election for a vacated Senate seat, according to unofficial results.
The by-election for the Senate seat from Punjab was underway at the Punjab Assembly. The election is being held on the seat vacated by Nehal Hashmi, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court last month for committing contempt of court.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Dr Asad Ashraf, who was running as an independent candidate due to the Supreme Court’s recent decision nullifying all actions taken by disqualified PML-N president Nawaz Sharif, was contesting against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Dr Zarqa Taimur.
The Pakistan Peoples Party has not put up a candidate for the Senate by-poll.
During the voting process, the proceedings were briefly halted after the opposition members protested against the public display of vote by a treasury member.
Before casting his vote, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif talked to the media and said the PML-N is united under its Quaid, Nawaz Sharif.
“God willing we will win the upcoming general elections,” the recently-appointed PML-N president said further. The polling concluded at 4pm.
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, tweeted the breakdown of PML-N voting in the provincial assembly, after the polling.
She said that there were total 311 PML-N members in the PA, from which 310 cast their votes. The number of valid votes was 298 and invalid were 12.