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WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
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| PML-N bags two; PPP, PML-Zia one seat each in by-polls |
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
Turnout low; two gunmen of PPP polling agent arrested in Jhang
By Faizan Bangash & Nauman Wahab
LAHORE: The PML-N won Wednesday’s by-elections in NA-123 (Lahore) and PP-82 (Jhang) while the PML-Zia and the PPP clinched PP-284 (Bahawalnagar) and PP-25 (Jafarabad), respectively, according to unofficial results received so far from majority of the polling stations.
The PML-N got a thumping majority in NA-123 (Lahore VI) where its candidate Pervaiz Malik got 44,547 votes while his nearest candidate from PTI Mian Hamid Miraj managed to get 9,304 votes, according to unofficial results.
Much trumpeted alliance of the JI and the PML-Q couldn’t save the former from a crushing defeat and its candidate, Hafiz Salman Butt, remained at number three with just over 3,275 votes to his name.
There were 57,142 total votes cast out of 286,997 registered votes while total poling booths were 644 and total poling stations were 268. Besides, a number of independent candidates in the run for the by-polls also failed miserably to show any significant performance and the PML-N managed to retain its seat by a big margin.
As per unofficial results, turnout in the NA-123 by-polls remained around 20 per cent. It is noteworthy that the PML-N continued its tradition of winning this seat by big margins as it won the same slot with nearly 11,000 votes in the 2002 polls, 50,000 votes in 2008 and around 35,000 this time. For the first time, a candidate from Lahore has been elected on the seat in the form of Pervaiz Malik since the bifurcation of old constituency in 2002. In 2002 and 2008 polls, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi had been the winner from this seat.
Heavy contingents of police were deployed at all polling stations situated in the union councils of NA-123 where voters didn’t turn up in a large number despite holiday announced by the provincial government. JI and PTI candidates, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the process of polling and levelled allegation of rigging and use of state machinery by the Punjab government.
Our Jhang correspondent adds: The returning officer of PP-82 announced unofficial results of by-polls in Jhang. PML-N candidate Azam Chela with 42,145 votes declared winner while PPP candidate Ghazanfer Ali Jabbuana got 30,436 and stood second in the contest.
APP adds from Faisalabad: The police arrested two gunmen of the PPP candidate’s polling agent Najaf Abbas Sial and recovered a Kalashnikov and a 9 mm riffle at the Kot Muraad polling station.
Talking to media men at Jhang, Najaf Abbas protested against the police action and termed it an example of police excesses and open support of the police and the administration for the PML-N candidate.
Najaf Sial, who was chief polling agent of the PPP candidate Nawab Ghazanfar Jabbuana, said the police throughout the election campaign chased and harassed him so as to give up his support to the PPP candidate.
He said the Punjab government claimed it believed in the rule of law, transparency and equity but practically it always violated the law with impunity. He blamed the Punjab government for ruthlessly using official resources, which he termed unethical and underhand tactics to win the by-election. When contacted, police claimed gunmen of Najaf Abbas Sial were arrested as they were involved in displaying arms and were held in violation of Section 144 imposed by the administration.
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KP floods toll reaches 408
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Casualties due to rain and flood-related incidents were on the rise as more deaths were reported from various areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Friday.
Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain p more |
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‘US has no plans to send troops to Pakistan’
WASHINGTON: The United States (US) has brushed aside an Afghan demand to strike at militant safe havens across the border, saying it has no plans to send combat troops to Pakistan.
“We have no plans to s more |
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PM’s directive to HEC is illegal
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the NA Committee on Education has formally sought from the prime minister withdrawal of his recent directive barring the Higher Education Commission (HEC) from directly reporting to t more |
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Flash floods kill 102 in a narrow Shangla strip
By Ikram Hoti
BISHAM, Swat: Out of over 500 people killed by torrential rains and flash floods across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 102 were killed only in a 10-kilometre narrow mountainous strip in Shangla in the 78 hours of Wednesda more |
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95 victims of plane crash identified, Malik tells Senate
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday claimed that 95 out of the 152 dead bodies of the plane crash victims had been identified and 78 handed over to relatives.
Responding to points of orde more |
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Zardari to visit UK despite Cameron snub
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari is going ahead with his four-day official visit to Britain, starting from Aug 3, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in categorical terms on Friday.
This b more |
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14 die in G-B rains
By our correspondent
GILGIT: Fourteen people, three of them girls, died on Friday in various parts of Gilgit-Baltistan as torrential rains continued to wreak havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, senior government officials said.
Four more |
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Mullen asks ISI to shift its focus ‘strategically’
WASHINGTON: Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, has asked the Pakistani spy agency to “strategically shift its focus” as any ties with the terrorist outfits that had come to light in more |
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Security concerns main reason
By Murtaza Ali Shah
LONDON: President Asif Ali Zardari’s official visit to the UK from August 3 to 7 will cost the taxpayers of Pakistan tons of British pounds as sources have revealed the details of what arrangements are being ma more |
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Fake degrees: SC rejects appeals of three MPs
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday dismissed the appeals of one National Assembly and two provincial assembly members and upheld the decisions against their fake degrees.
A three-member bench of more |
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ECP to check assets of all MPs from next polls
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: In what would serve as a great step towards political reformation in the country, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is finalising a proposal to verify all the declarations of the members of t more |
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Indo-Pak experts want to use water as tool for cooperation
NEW DELHI: Use water as a tool to build trust and cooperation, urged delegates at an Indo-Pak seminar ‘Water is life’ organized by Aman ki Asha and the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation here to discuss the more |
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Cameron’s remarks: ISI team cancels visit to UK
ISLAMABAD: Following the shocking remarks made by the British Prime Minister David Cameron against Pakistan, an ISI’s anti-terrorism experts delegation has cancelled its visit to Britain.
Defence sources more |
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CCP issues notice for tying ticket with food coupons
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has issued a show cause notice to a company for tying the sale of cinema ticket with food coupons.
According to the CCP, the show cause notice was more |
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US needs to change war strategy: Haroon
NEW YORK: Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN, Abdullah Hussain Haroon, said that there might have been a relationship between the ISI and the Taliban, but in a war such contacts were considered necessary.
“ more |
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briefs...
Average inflation for FY11 projected at 11-12 pc
By Shahnawaz Akhter
KARACHI: In an unexpected move, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday tightened the monetary policy stance by enhancing th more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
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