Another runner-up turns victor after recount

ISLAMABAD: Yet an­other loser in the Febr­uary 8 general elections has become a victor following recount of votes on the orders of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Former minister of state for interior Abdul Rehman Kanju is the latest addition to the list. Kanju was defeated by PTI-backed independent candidate Rana Faraz Noon from NA-154 (Lodhran), with a margin of 6,499 votes. The recount, however, made him a winner with a lead of 7,301 votes.

According to Form 47 still available on the ECP’s website, Rana Faraz Noon had secured 134,937 votes, which now have shrunk to 120,683 after the recount.

Mr Kanju had obtained 128,438 votes, which also have slightly reduced to 127,984. The ECP has issued the victory notification of Mr Kanju, withdrawing the notification declaring Mr Noon of PTI as a returned candidate from the constituency.

Kanju declared successful in NA-154; ECP notifies victory of eight PML-N members on women’s seats

Earlier this week, Azhar Qayyum Nahra of PML-N was declared winner after recounting of votes in NA-81, Gujranwala.

Then, on March 13, PML-N candidate Khan Bahadar from Jaranwala’s PP-100 was declared winner after the recounting of votes.

Senators notified

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Friday issued a notification of successful candidates of Senate by-elections held on March 14.

According to the notification, PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani was notified as a senator on a general seat from Islamabad. On two vacant Senate seats from Sindh, PPP’s Jam Saifullah Dharejo and Muhammad Aslam Abro have been notified as elected. Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo of PPP, Abdul Shakoor Khan Ghaibai of JUI-F and Mir Dostain Khan of PML-N have been notified as senators from Balochistan.

Reserved seats for women

The ECP also notified eight members on the reserved seats for women in the National Assembly belonging to PML-N. These include names of Saira Afzal Tarar, daughter-in-law of former president Rafiq Tarar.

The list also includes Bushra Anjum Butt, a relative of former senator Shaheen Khalid Butt, and said to be a close friend of PM Shehbaz Sharif.

She first became a member of the Punjab Assembly, then was notified as a member of the National Assembly and is now set to jump to the upper house of parliament as her name is there on the priority list of PML-N for reserved seats in the Senate for women.

Others who have been notified as MNAs on reserved seats from Punjab include Huma Akhtar Chughtai, Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi, Gulnaz Shahzad, Shamaila Rana, Shazia Farid, and Amna Batul.

Similarly, the ECP has named Kanwal Nauman and Saima Zahid of PML-N as returned candidates on reserved seats for women in the Punjab Assembly.

The ECP also issued a notification for the success of Farah Khan of PML-N as the returned candidate on reserved seat for women in the KP Assembly.