PML-N secures victory in Sialkot by-election as opposition alleges rigging

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party won a by-election for the Punjab Assembly seat PP-52 in Sialkot on Sunday, with candidate Hina Arshad Warraich securing 78,702 votes to defeat her closest rival, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent Fakhir Nashat Ghumman, who received 39,018 votes.

The result, however, was overshadowed by opposition accusations of electoral manipulation, with rival parties alleging that the PML-N used police and administrative support to skew the outcome.

The by-election, held following the death of PML-N lawmaker Arshad Javed Warraich two months ago, proceeded smoothly at 185 polling stations, though minor clashes occurred between PTI supporters and police.

As unofficial tallies confirmed Warraich’s victory, the PTI and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) challenged the process, pointing to irregularities they claimed undermined the vote’s credibility.

Opposition leaders criticized the presence of containers outside the returning officer’s office in Sambrial, which local officials described as a security measure in place since polling began. The PTI and PPP dismissed this explanation, with the PPP organizing a sit-in protest at the site.

Former prime minister and PPP leader Raja Pervaiz Ashraf accused authorities of closing polling stations in several areas to suppress votes. “If results are altered, it’s a troubling sign for the government,” he told reporters, adding that he would raise the issue with the chief election commissioner. “Such alleged rigging is unacceptable.”

Provincial Election Commissioner Sharifullah refuted the claims, asserting that voting concluded uninterrupted at 5 p.m. and promising a review of any formal grievances. PTI leader Usman Dar alleged that police expelled PTI voters and polling agents from stations to favor the PML-N.

At a news conference in Islamabad, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqqas Akram accused Punjab authorities of orchestrating the rigging, claiming ballot papers were tampered with and PTI agents removed by force. “We have video proof,” he said, noting that the Election Commission’s helpline was unavailable during voting hours.

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari defended the outcome, calling it a vote of confidence in Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. She rebuffed the opposition’s allegations, questioning the PPP’s credibility given its limited presence in the area and accusing the PTI of hypocrisy after its past criticism of political bargaining.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Warraich’s win and thanked Sialkot voters for supporting the PML-N.