The PPP defeated the PTI in the by-polls for Tharparkar’s NA-221 seat

MITHI: The PPP’s Pir Ameer Ali Shah Jilani trounced PTI’s Nizamuddin Rahimoon, according to the official results announced by District Returning Officer Mian Mohammad Shahid, receiving 102,232 votes against Rahimoon’s 52,522 votes.

According to the official result the turnout on the seat remained 58.88 per cent. The National Assembly seat had fallen vacant after PPP’s MNA Pir Noor Mohammad Shah passed away from Covid-19 in December last year. His son, Jilani, was awarded the party ticket in his place in the by-poll. Some voting at some polling stations near Chhachhro town were disturbed due to brawls between the voters and supporters of both parties.

According to Tharparkar SSP Hassan Sardar Niazi, the “accidental” fire had erupted at polling station No. 126 near Chachro town and “caused damage to some ballot papers and other material”. The official, however, had refuted media reports that three persons had been detained for arson.PPP leaders as well as workers, who gathered at Jilani House in Chhachhro, said the people of Tharparkar had rejected the PTI just like in other districts of the province.

The provincial minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, MNA Dr Mehesh Kumar Malani, MPA Arbab Lutufllah, Qasim Siraj Soomro, Arbab Ameer Aman Allah, Dost Ali Rahimoon, Dr Ghulam Hyder Samejo and others said that despite the “undemocratic” moves by political rivals, the people of Tharparkar had shown trust in Jilani and helped him secure the seat. Meanwhile, the PTI candidate, Grand Democratic Alliance’s (GDA) MPA Haji Abdul Razzak Rahimoon, PTI MNA Jay Parkash Lohana and others accused the PPP of harassing voters during the polling process.

They said that Mr Rahimoon was not defeated by any individual but by Sindh government, which according to them, marshalled its all resources to defeat their candidate. Reacting to the landslide victory during the by-polls, the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari congratulated the party’s candidate for winning the by-election.”The people of Tharparkar have shown a mirror to illegitimate and incompetent rulers in the by-elections.

The by-polls were the ‘selected’ government’s first test; Imran Khan has failed in all four provinces,” he said in a statement issued on Monday morning. Bilawal added that it was time for the prime minister to resign. “All democratic forces are on one page. The will of the people will also succeed in the Senate elections,” he said.PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also congratulated the PPP candidate and the party chairman in her tweet following the win of Mr Jilani. “From Thar to Nowshehra, in eight elections PTI is facing losses by bigger margins than before via the Pakistan Democratic Movement,” she said, urging the government to message people have given to selected rulers.