
Initial results in Pakistan8217;s general elections, marred by low voters8217; turn-out, today went against President Pervez Musharraf with three of his former ministers losing while opposition PPP and PML-N winning in their strongholds.
PML-Q leader Shujaat Hussain, who was Prime Minister under Musharraf, was deafeted by his PPP rival Choudhry Ahmed Mukhtar in the national assembly constituency in Punjab province.
Musharraf8217;s confidante and high-profile former minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, also of PML-Q, lost to PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed in a prestigious Rawalpindi constituency.
Rasheed, a seven-time winner from his constituency and a former railway minister in the Musharraf government, is also constesting for another Rawalpindi seat.
Zubaida Jalal, a former minister in Musharraf8217;s cabinet, was defeated as an independent candidate for the National Assembly from Kech-Gwadar in southwestern Balochistan province by Yaqub Bizenjo of Balochistan National Party-Awami.
She was the education minister during 1999-2001.
Initial trends showed Pakistan People8217;s Party PPP of its slain leader Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif8217;s PMLN doing well in their respective strongholds Sindh and Punjab respectively while Muttahida Quami Movement MQM was faring well in Karachi as counting of votes was underway.