PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah clinches Punjab Senate seat in dominant victory

LAHORE: Another victory for the PML-N, party heavyweight Rana Sanaullah stunned the opposition by winning the Punjab Senate by-election with 250 votes.

The high-stakes contest followed the dramatic ouster of PTI’s Ijaz Chaudhry, who lost his seat after serving a jail sentence for his role in the May 9, 2023 riots. His disqualification set the stage for the most power-packed election battle in Punjab in recent memory.

Sanaullah, unanimously supported by the ruling alliance of the PML-N, PPP, IPP, and PML-Q, surpassed the required mark of 180 votes, sending a clear message of the alliance’s dominance.

The opposition had initially fielded Salma Ijaz, the wife of the ousted PTI senator, who had about 100 votes. But in a shocking last-minute twist, the opposition suddenly announced a boycott. Despite their names remaining on the ballot, PTI lawmakers were strictly ordered by Deputy Opposition Leader Moin Qureshi not to vote.