PML-N has kept both seats in Punjab by-polls held on Sunday. Rashid Basheer Virk won National Assembly seat NA-77 in Gujranwala, while Muhammad Asad Hanif Jutt won Punjab Assembly seat PP-203 in Chichawatni, according to unofficial results.
Both seats fell vacant after deaths of sitting lawmakers in September. Polling ran from 8 in morning till 5 in evening. Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) called polling largely peaceful and without interruption.
NA-77 Gujranwala Result
Virk bagged 43,365 votes in NA-77. Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML) candidate Mohammad Ibrahim finished second with 30,218 votes. Virk won by a margin of 13,147 votes.
Eleven candidates contested this seat. It fell vacant after death of Virk’s father, Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk, on September 11. He served as MNA five times.
NA-77 has 518,620 registered voters and 333 polling stations. Only 15.65 per cent voters turned out to vote — a very low turnout.
PP-203 Chichawatni Result
Jutt won PP-203 with 42,114 votes, according to Form-47 seen by Dawn. His closest rival, Muhammad Awais Mahmood of Tehreek-i-Ehsas Pakistan (TEP), got 24,512 votes in same Form-47 count.
Turnout in PP-203 stood at 27.6 per cent. Officials set up 185 polling stations across constituency. Around 1,370 polling staff worked on polling day, including 574 women and 796 men. Police deployed 1,100 personnel for security.
This seat fell vacant after death of PML-N MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif Jutt, who died of cardiac arrest on September 17. It was second by-election in this seat since 2024 general elections. Jutt had won earlier by-election on November 23, 2025 with 46,820 votes.
| Seat | Winner | Votes | Runner-up | Votes | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA-77 Gujranwala | Rashid Basheer Virk (PML-N) | 43,365 | Mohammad Ibrahim (PMML) | 30,218 | 15.65% |
| PP-203 Chichawatni | Asad Hanif Jutt (PML-N) | 42,114 | Awais Mahmood (TEP) | 24,512* | 27.6% |
* PP-203 runner-up figure as per Form-47 seen by Dawn; results remain unofficial till ECP confirmation.
Low Turnout and PTI Boycott
Few voters came out in both seats. NA-77 turnout was under 16 per cent. PP-203 turnout stayed under 28 per cent. Such low numbers are common in by-elections, where voters often feel less urgency than in general elections.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycotted both by-polls. Its absence left a straight fight in NA-77 between PML-N and PMML, and in PP-203 between PML-N and TEP.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz posted on X after polling ended and claimed her party led in both seats. She wrote, “This electoral victory is no ordinary victory. It is a resounding public rebuke to conspiracy peddlers, hate mongers and those who refuse to read the writing on the wall.” She added that “politics of delivery is far more enduring than the politics of hate and revenge”.
Why Results Matter
These wins matter for PML-N for three reasons.
First, both seats sit in central Punjab, a region PML-N calls its stronghold. Losing either seat would have raised hard questions about party grip on its home ground. Keeping both seats lets party leaders claim voters still back them.
Second, both wins came in seats left vacant by deaths, not by disqualification or resignation. Voters often treat such by-polls as a test of sympathy and local loyalty. In NA-77, voters picked son of late MNA. In PP-203, voters picked son of late MPA. Family name and local ties played a clear role.
Third, low turnout and PTI boycott mean results should not be read as a full picture of public mood. When a major party stays out and most voters stay home, a win shows strength among active supporters, not among all voters. Real test will come in a general election, when all parties contest and turnout runs higher.
Polling day also saw complaints about code of conduct. ECP issued notices to several PML-N lawmakers for visiting polling stations in NA-77, including Punjab MPA Qudsia Batool, MNA Saira Afzal Tarar and Parliamentary Secretary Shazia Rizwan. Notices also went to MNA Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar and MPA Hina Arshad Warraich. In PP-203, notices went to MPAs Malik Qasim Nadeem and Motiya Begum for visiting polling stations in Chichawatni.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar was already in trouble over campaigning in NA-77. ECP summoned him for a hearing on November 12. ECP said result of constituency could be withheld till a final decision on matter.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari also claimed on X that supporters of PMML candidate were caught “openly stamping ballots” with election staff present. Provincial election commissioner directed returning officer concerned to probe matter and submit a report.
Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja visited provincial election chief’s office during polling day and received a briefing on process in both constituencies.
Results remain unofficial. ECP will announce final results through its own process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who won NA-77 by-election?
A: PML-N candidate Rashid Basheer Virk won NA-77 Gujranwala with 43,365 votes, beating PMML candidate Mohammad Ibrahim, who got 30,218 votes.
Q: Who won PP-203 by-election?
A: PML-N candidate Muhammad Asad Hanif Jutt won PP-203 Chichawatni with 42,114 votes. His closest rival, Awais Mahmood of TEP, got 24,512 votes as per Form-47 seen by Dawn.
Q: Why were by-elections held in NA-77 and PP-203?
A: Both seats fell vacant after deaths of sitting lawmakers in September 2026. NA-77 MNA Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk died on September 11, and PP-203 MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Hanif Jutt died of cardiac arrest on September 17.
