PML-N sweeps Punjab by-elections, bagging 12 of 13 seats amid PTI boycott

In by-elections held across 13 constituencies on Sunday, six National Assembly and seven Punjab Assembly seats, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League‑Nawaz emerged the dominant victor, winning 12 of the 13 seats, with only one going to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), unofficial results indicate. 

According to the schedule published by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the by-polls were held in six NA constituencies, NA-18 (Haripur), NA-96 and NA-104 (Faisalabad), NA-129 (Lahore), NA-143 (Sahiwal) and NA-185 (Dera Ghazi Khan), and seven Punjab Assembly seats, PP-73 (Sargodha), PP-87 (Mianwali), PP-98, PP-115, PP-116 (Faisalabad), PP-203 (Sahiwal) and PP-269.

The by-elections took place after the disqualification of multiple lawmakers affiliated with the Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) following opinions in connection with the May 9, 2023 violence cases. With PTI largely boycotting the exercise, the PML-N and PPP had earlier announced a seat-adjustment coalition. 

Among the key results, the PML-N’s Mahmood Qadir Khan defeated the PPP’s Dost Mohammad Khosa in NA-185, securing 82,419 votes to 49,226. In NA-129 (Lahore), PML-N’s Mohammad Nauman reportedly gathered 63,441 votes versus independent Arslan Ahmad’s 29,099. The party also won NA-143 (Sahiwal) with 119,334 votes, as per the unofficial tally. In Faisalabad’s NA-104 and NA-96, PML-N candidates Danyal Ahmad and Mohammad Bilal Badar secured substantial leads.

On the provincial side, PML-N won six of the seven Punjab seats. In PP-73 (Sargodha) Sultan Ali Ranjha obtained 71,770 votes, in PP-87 (Mianwali) Ali Haider Noor Khan received 67,986 votes and in PP-115 (Faisalabad) Tahir Pervaiz won with 49,046 votes. The only seat won by PPP was PP-269 (Muzaffargarh), where Alamdar Abbas Qureshi secured 55,868 votes to Iqbal Khan’s 46,510.

While the government portrayed the contest as evidence of public endorsement, voter turnout was notably low in many constituencies. Some polling stations recorded almost no voters, and election officials attributed the low participation to the non-competitive nature of the race and the absence of PTI candidates.

Opposition parties, citing alleged irregularities, raised questions over the conduct of the polls. PTI has claimed issues with ballot-book distribution and stationing of polling staff, though election officials dismissed the complaints as typographical or administrative in nature.

Analysts say the win strengthens PML-N’s parliamentary majority and reduces its reliance on coalition partners, a development with possible implications for dynamics ahead of the next general election.