PTI wins PP-38 by-election, takes Sialkot constituency from PML-N

• PTI candidate bags 60,588 votes, according to unofficial results.
• PML-N opponent secures 53,471.
• PTI candidate takes 7,117-vote lead over PML-N opponent.

PTI candidate Ahsan Saleem Baryar won the PP-38 by-election on Wednesday, beating PML-N's Tariq Subhani by 7,117 votes, according to unofficial results.

The seat had fallen vacant after PML-N's Akhtar Subhani passed away.

The polling kicked off at 8am and continued unremittingly till 5pm, however, rain affected the polling process in some areas.

PTI's Baryar received 60,588 from 165 polling stations, according to unofficial results, while PML-N's Subhani was able to secure 53,471 votes.

Although eight candidates were in the race, the real competition was between the PTI and PML-N candidates.

Five arrested for displaying weapons

During polling, five people were arrested for displaying weapons and violating Section 144 in the constituency, a police spokesperson said.

Officials arrested Rizwan, Asim, Saleem Zafar, Rukhsar, and Ali Najam, while they also recovered weapons and several rounds from them, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, District Police Officer Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani said no one would be allowed to take the law in their hands and vowed to take strict action against such elements.

The PP-38 constituency in numbers

There are a total of 233,422 registered voters — 128,128 male and 105,294 female — in the constituency, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

The ECP had set up 165 polling stations and 487 polling booths — including 262 booths for male voters and 225 booths for female voters — for the by-election.

Hammad Azhar says Sialkot rejected PML-N

Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar, reacting to PTI's victory, said: "Sialkot has rejected those who had a meeting with anti-Pakistan people in their drawing-room." It was a reference to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif who held a meeting with Afghan officials a few days prior.

"This constituency has voted in favour of PTI three years after Noon-League won here in 2018," the federal energy minister added.