F.P. Report
LAHORE: The independent candidate supported by ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Dr Asad Ashraf won the Senate by-poll over the Punjab seat that was vacated after dismissal of Nehal Hashmi.
Ashraf took 298 votes in Punjab Assembly and easily defeated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Dr Zarqa Taimur who only managed to get 38 votes from the provincial lawmakers.
Out of the 368 seats in the provincial assembly, votes were casted by only 346 members. The 300 legislators of PML-N casted their votes while other nine remained absent with two vote rejected.
Eight MNAs belonging to Pakistan Peoples Party did not come to cast their votes. A total of 12 votes were rejected in the Senate by-poll.
The polling for a Senate seat from Punjab fell vacant after Nehal Hashmi’s disqualification.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had declared the PML-N Senate candidates as independent in the aftermath of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling over the petitions challenging the Election Act 2017, which removed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the party president.
The Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has not fielded its candidate in the Senate by-election from Punjab. The polling for the vacant Senate seat will remain continued till 4:00 pm today.
Speaking to press outside Punjab Assembly, Dr Ashraf, a former MPA, criticized the apex court’s ruling, which deprived the ruling party of its election symbol of Lion.
“Our symbol has been snatched from us, this is unfair,” he complained. During the election in the assembly Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah cast the first vote.
The provincial assembly of Punjab is comprises of total 368 members with 53 lawmakers in the opposition. Maryam Nawaz congratulated the winning candidate on Twitter and criticised those who claimed of a split in the party.
