Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Fazal Maula has reportedly won PK-7 Swat seat by security 18,042 votes during by-election in the constituency, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results.
According to reports, Fazal defeated Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Hussain Ahmed, who was backed by the 12-party alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). The ANP candidate managed to bag 14,665 votes, according to unofficial results.
The seat had fallen vacant following the death of ANP lawmaker Waqar Ahmad Khan on April 30.
Fazal Maula of the PTI, Hussain Ahmad Khan of the ANP, Daulat Khan of the Tehreek-e-Inqilab Political Movement and independent Mohammad Ali Shah were contesting for the seat.
Mainstream political parties, except the PTI, had decided not to contest the election citing the sacrifices of the deceased’s family during the 2007-09 Swat insurgency as a reason.
PK-7 Swat is the home constituency of PTI central leader and former communications minister Murad Saeed. The ANP has already complained about the ‘active campaign’ by provincial ministers for the PTI nominee.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the constituency has 183,308 registered voters, including 102,088 men and 81,220 women. The polling began at 8am and continued until 5pm.
A total of 124 polling stations were established for the by-election. Of them, 41 were declared sensitive.
