Ex-PM Gilani's party defeats Pak PM Imran Khan's candidate in senate polls

The 11-party opposition alliance - Pakistan Democratic Motion (PDM) scored a serious victory over Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) within the Senate polls as former PM Yousuf Raza Gilani received the hotly-contested common seat from Islamabad.

Gilani defeated PTI's Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

After the consequence was introduced, Shaikh and Gilani shook palms and hugged one another. The information of Shaikh's defeat was instructed to him by Zain Qureshi -- who was the minister's polling agent, in keeping with Geo Information.

Official outcomes saying Gillani's victory might be introduced later, sources mentioned.

Geo ancherperson Shahzeb Khanzada termed it a "huge upset" for Imran Khan since he had personally campaigned for Shaikh and had managed to win over a lot of the authorities's allies.

Senior ministers of the federal government resembling Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rashid had earlier claimed that Shaikh would defeat the previous prime minister simply.

Analyst Irshad Bhatti additionally mentioned that it was "huge upset" for the federal government, including that his earlier prediction that the previous prime minister would lose has been proved mistaken, Geo Information additional reported.

Furthermore, senior analyst Mazhar Abbas claimed this improvement was a victory for former president Asif Ali Zardari and a loss for Imran Khan.

"It was Zardari who urged the PDM to delay the long march and contest the Senate elections," he mentioned, including {that a} no-confidence motion towards the Prime Minister may very well be profitable.

In the meantime, in keeping with Daybreak, Abdul Qadir, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Muhammad Qasim, Palwasha Khan, Khalida Ateeb, Sarfaraz Bugti, Manzoor Ahmed and Prince Ahmed Umer Ahmedzai have received the elections to this point, as per unofficial and unverified outcomes.

The polling for 37 seats of Pakistan's Senate got here to a detailed at 5 pm and counting of votes is at present underway as a complete of 78 candidates contesting from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad.

The polls have been held after a long-drawn open poll controversy that saved the ruling get together and opposition in a disagreement and a authorized battle earlier than the Supreme Court docket on Monday introduced that the elections for the Higher Home of the Parliament might be held by secret poll, in keeping with Article 226 of the Pakistan Structure.