PML-N Wins PP-203 Chichawatni By-Election as NA-77 Count Continues in Gujranwala
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has won the PP-203 Chichawatni by-election, while counting continues in the NA-77 Gujranwala by-election after polling closed on Sunday evening.
PML-N candidate Asad Hanif Jatt secured 41,245 votes in PP-203, according to unofficial results from all 185 polling stations. His closest rival, Muhammad Awais Gujjar of Tehreek-e-Ehsaas Pakistan, finished second with 23,167 votes — a winning margin of 18,078 votes. The constituency has 258,122 registered voters. The results are unofficial and have not yet been formally confirmed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Polling ran from 8am to 5pm on Sunday, 8 November, and remained peaceful, officials said. In NA-77, 333 polling stations were set up, and 11 candidates are in the race. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on X that her party was leading in both seats.
Both by-elections were held because the sitting lawmakers died in September. The PP-203 seat fell vacant after PML-N MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif Jatt died of a cardiac arrest on 17 September. His son Asad contested the seat on the PML-N ticket. It is the second by-election in the constituency since the 2024 general elections: the seat was first won by PTI-backed independent Rai Murtaza Iqbal, who was later disqualified after his conviction by an anti-terrorism court.
The NA-77 seat fell vacant after the death of five-time PML-N MNA Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk on 11 September. His son, Rashid Basheer Virk, is the PML-N candidate. The PTI, PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami did not field candidates in NA-77.
The vote was not without controversy. The ECP issued notices to several PML-N lawmakers for allegedly visiting polling stations in NA-77 in violation of the code of conduct, and had earlier taken notice of Information Minister Attaullah Tarar campaigning there by helicopter. The ECP has said the NA-77 result could be withheld until a decision is made on the matter.
Why it matters
Both seats were held by the PML-N, so keeping them would let the ruling party in Punjab hold its grip on both constituencies. The by-elections were also a test of the ECP’s handling of code-of-conduct complaints, with the NA-77 result possibly held back while the Tarar matter is decided.
What happens next
The ECP will formally confirm the PP-203 result, and counting in NA-77 will continue until a winner is declared. Any decision on the code-of-conduct notices could delay the official NA-77 result.
Sources
- Samaa TV: https://www.samaa.tv/2087359915-pml-n-candidate-wins-pp-203-chichawatni-by-election
- Dawn: https://www.dawn.com/news/2043037/polling-under-way-for-na-77-pp-203-by-elections-in-punjab
- Dunya News: https://dunyanews.tv/amp/english/981788.php
- Daily Pakistan: https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/08-Nov-2026/polling-ends-in-two-punjab-by-elections-vote-counting-under-way
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
