The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged victorious in the significant 2024 by-elections which were held in the country on April 21, as per preliminary reports.
According to reports, the party clinched at least two national and around 10 provincial assembly seats, winning the polls by a significant majority. On the other hand, PPP, SIC and an independent candidate won one assembly seat each.
Political parties – the PML-N, the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has competed in the intense clash for two National Assembly seats in Punjab and Khyber-Paktunkhwa and one in Sindh, and twelve seats of Punjab Assembly and two seats each from Khyber-Paktunkhwa and Balochistan.
The elections were conducted amidst a lot of fear about violence and misconduct during the democratic process. The Pakistan Punjab government had thus requested the federal government to suspend mobile internet services in the province’s 13 districts and tehsils on Sunday in lieu of the polls.
Despite attempts to maintain law and order however, several instances of violence transpired while one PML-N supporter was killed amidst a clash with the PTI party.