Islamabad: An independent candidate has won a by-election in the Punjab province of Pakistan against two major political parties of the country, according to unofficial results for the contest for a provincial assembly seat in the city of Sargodha.
Ejaz Ahmad Kahloon defeated candidates of the Pakistan People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-N in the polls on Monday for a Punjab assembly seat that had fallen vacant as a result of the disqualification of a PML-N holder due to his fake academic degree.
Kahloon polled more than 15,000 votes. PML-N candidate Chaudhry Tabraiz Gul was second while PPP's Haji Faiz Ahmad was third in terms of number of votes.
It was the second defeat for PML-N in Punjab, which it rules at the head of an uneasy coalition with PPP. Earlier PML-N had lost by-poll for a Punjab assembly seat in Multan at the hands of a brother of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
More by-elections are expected in the coming months after completion of an ongoing scrutiny of degrees of around 1,100 federal and provincial lawmakers and possible unseating of wrong-doers.
