Top politicians suffer shocking defeat
Islamabad: Former Pakistan prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, his party president Shehbaz Sharif and chief of the right-wing Jamat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq were among the stalwarts who suffered shocking defeat in the general elections, Pakistani media reported on Thursday. Abbasi, who assumed premiership after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif, had contested from NA-57 parliamentary seat in Rawalpindi, his native constituency of hill resort of Murree, and NA-53 Islamabad, where he lives, as a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate. But according to the unofficial results, the former premier had lost from both the seats. Abbasi had won this seat in 1990, 1993, 1997, 2008 and 2013 general elections. He had lost only once in 2002. Apart from him, PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, who had contested from three parliamentary seats — one each in Karachi, Swat and Lahore, lost to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates in Karachi and NA-3 seat in Swat. Meanwhile, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was defeated on NA-8 Malakand seat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but he was winning from his home constituency of Larkana in Sindh.
Extremist, banned groups fail miserably
Islamabad: Extremist and banned groups, including Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-backed Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek, have failed miserably in Pakistan’s general elections despite their massive campaign. Hundreds of individuals linked with hardline and banned groups were competing in the polls but so far, according to the unofficial results, none of them was seen as winning a seat in the national or provincial assemblies. Only few could garner a respectable number of votes including Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi whose name was removed from a banned list called Fourth Schedule ahead of election and allowed to contest, inviting international backlash. Before the elections, concerns have been raised in the country over the participation of hardline Islamist groups in large numbers. Mili Muslim League linked with Saeed fielded dozens of candidates from the Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek as it was denied recognition by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Saeed himself led the campaign by addressing several rallies but his candidates were not seen anywhere near victory. (PTI)
Results on plain papers raises questions
Islamabad: Though the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) continuously refuted the allegations of elections being rigged, the pictures of results being provided on plain papers have recently emerged, proving otherwise.In the pictures surfaced, it can be clearly seen that the results were not provided through the official form – Form No 45.No calculator, computerisation, cameras, scientific tabulation or official papers are being used to note or count the number of votes. As counting of votes is underway in Pakistan, most of the political parties except the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had alleged that there was widespread rigging in the recently-concluded general elections. (ANI)
