Polling for NA-154 by-election underway

Meanwhile, unofficial and unconfirmed results from NA-154 by election in Lodhran showed that the PTI has clear majority while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Siddique Baloch was trailing behind.

But in a petition with the election tribunal, Tareen had accused Baloch of possessing a fake degree and committing irregularities during the 2013 general election. PTI approached every tribunal it could and have always claimed to be the victim of rigging without exception, he added.

Strict security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident in the constituency.

The DPO said voters would not be allowed to carry mobile phones and cameras to the polling stations.

Lodhran’s DCO Muhammad Shahid Niaz had enforced Section 144 which prohibited carrying licenced firearms, display of weapons, aerial firing and conducting rallies, processions and gathering of more than five persons within the 300 metre radius of polling station.

In NA-154 constituency total registered voters are 419,182 voters including 228,870 male and 190,312 female. On the occasion he also blamed PML-N MNA Ghaffar Dogar for terrorising the voters of NA-154.

Although 20 candidates were vying for the National Assembly seat but the major contest was between Siddique Baloch, who won the 2013 elections in independent capacity, and PTI’s Jahagir Tareen. He urged all PTI supporters to cast their vote to bring positive change in Lodhran.

Wednesday’s by-election was largely peaceful except for sporadic fistfights and scuffles between PTI and PML-N supporters at a few polling stations.

There were three thousand policemen appointed on the polling stations for the whole day while soldiers of Pakistan army were also appointed along with more than 1100 volunteers.