Political bigwigs suffer shocking defeats in Pakistan polls

Islamabad :  Many political bigwigs in Pakistan suffered shocking defeats in the national elections even as votes were still being counted, with former Prime Ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Yousaf Raza Gilani, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari losing their strongholds.

While the preliminary results from different parts of the country had good news for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), it brought bad news for many top leaders from various parties who bit the dust in the polls.

The biggest setback was for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Abbasi as he lost both his seats, in Islamabad and his native constituency in Murree. He was defeated by Imran Khan in the capital.

Shehbaz Sharif, who had contested from three parliamentary seats – Karachi, Dera Ghazi Khan and Lahore — was defeated by PTI candidates in Karachi and in Dera Ghazi Khan. However, he managed to win the Lahore seat.

PPP leader and former PM Gilani lost his home turf in Multan.

Similarly, another surprise defeat was that of former Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, a former confidant of Nawaz Sharif who had defected from the PML-N and fought as an Independent. He lost in Rawalpindi.

He was among the politicians who have consecutively been winning their seats since 1988. It was for the first time he lost in his home constituency.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was fighting his first political battle from Malakand, lost by a huge margin of 10,000 votes.

Awami National Party (ANP) leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour also lost his seat. “It seems Imran Khan is the favourite leader of the people.”

Published on: July 26, 2018 at 19:51 IST

IANS