PML-Q wins 4 seats in polls

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) consisting of six religious parties, continued to encash on the prevailing anti-US sentiments. MMA’s main electoral plank in the bye-polls was the US decision to make it mandatory for Pakistanis living in America to get themselves registered.

It won two national Assembly seats in North West Frontier Province, where it is in power.

MMA also registered a surprise victory over PML-Q in Rawalpindi, defeating the nephew of Information minister Sheikh Rashid. The bye-polls for one of the two Rawalpindi parliamentary seats was held after Rashid who won both seats as Independent in the October elections resigned from one.

Rashid later attributed MMA’s anti-US campaign as one of the main factors for the defeat. MQM which has joined PML-Q alliance, won a seat in its stronghold of Karachi. Five PPP workers were killed and several injured in clashes during the polling in Sindh province. (PTI)