Adnan Aamir
Quetta: Engineer Usman Badini, candidate of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), won the by-election of NA-260, held on Saturday.
Usman Badini defeated Bahadur Khan Mengal of Balochistan National Party (BNP) after a close contest. NA-260 Quetta-Chagai-Nushki is the largest constituency of the country area wise and it was declared vacant after the death of death of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) leader, Abdul Rahim Mandokhail.
There are 460,202 Total voters registered in NA-260 and 29% polled votes for by-elections on 15th July.
According to the provisional elections results announced by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Usman Badini of JUI-f secured 44,610 votes, Bahadur Khan Mengal of BNP got 37,481, Jamal Tarakai of PKMAP got 20,485 and Umair Muhammad Hasni of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) got 19,840 votes.
In these elections National Party (NP) supported JUI-F, Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and Awami National Party (ANP) supported BNP whereas Majlis e Wahdat e Muslimeen (MWN) supported PKMAP.
Akhtar Mengal, President of BNP, congratulated Usman Badini after his victory.
I congratulate Usman Badini on his win.However, I thank all supporters of BNP for casting votes above 37k despite endless forces against us
— Akhtar Mengal (@sakhtarmengal) July 16, 2017
NA-260 elections were ignored by mainstream media and people used social media as the main source of information for elections.
#NA260 elections ignored by mainstream media in usual way #Balochistan is ignored. Social media only source of information!
— Adnan Aamir (@iAdnanAamir) July 15, 2017
As a result of over-reliance on social media, some of parties claimed lead in results using made up results.
تمام سیاسی جماعتوں کےمیڈیا سیلز نے اپنی اپنی جماعتوں کوسوشل میڈیا پہ جتا دیاہے #NA260
— Rubina Ibrahim Zehri (@zehri_Rubina) July 15, 2017
Elections were by and large peaceful and fair and there was no complaint on elections day.
However today, Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) alleged that elections were rigged. He tweeted a video as a proof.
How can such blatant rigging go unpunished by ECP? No wonder people of Pakistan have no confidence in ECP. pic.twitter.com/AaIU4UvwMq
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 16, 2017
Hamid Mir also used the same video to demand from ECP to stop notification of elections.
There is enough evidence of rigging in bye election of NA 260 but election commission is silent official notification must be stopped
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 16, 2017
According to the sources on ground, the circulated video is of 2013 elections.
PPP also claimed rigging in elections. PPP leaders claimed that a systemic plan was put in place to ensure defeat of PPP.
PPP Baluchistan Provincial Cabinet is doing press conference against the ragging & changing of result in yesterday’s bye-election of #NA260 pic.twitter.com/8IqwBK4hc5
— Fayaz Chachar (@ChacharFayaz) July 16, 2017
