JUI-F comes out victorious in unofficial results for NA-260

QUETTA: Unofficial results for the by-election on the National Assembly constituency NA-260 (Quetta-cum-Chagai) declared Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl’s (JUI-F) Usman Badini the winner with 42,636 votes.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Bahadur Khan Mengal stood second with 36,622 votes, as per the unofficial results.

The seat fell vacant after the death of Abdul Rahim Mandokhel, the senior vice chairman of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).

In all, 17 candidates contested the poll, of which nine were independent candidates.

Prominent candidates included Sardarzada Umair Muhammad Hasni of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Badani of JUI-F, Mengal of BNP-M, Jamal Khan Tarakai of PkMAP, Dr Munir Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Qari Meharullah of JUI-Nazaryati.

Two candidates, BNP-Awami's Dr Asif Baloch and Hazara Democratic Party's Ahmed Ali Kohzad, withdrew their candidature in favour of the BNP-Mengal candidate.

In the last seven elections held in the constituency, the PPP won the seat five times while the JUI-F clinched it twice.