NA-120 by-election, 2017

Lahore by-election, 2017

17 September 2017
NA-120 Lahore constituency
Opinion polls
First party Second party   Candidate Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif Yasmin Rashid Party PML (N) PTI Popular vote 61,745 47,099 Percentage 49.35 37.64 Swing 11.19 3.08
Lahore District in Punjab (Pakistan)
MNA before election Nawaz Sharif PML (N) Elected MNA Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif PML (N)

There was a by-election in the Pakistani parliamentary constituency of NA-120 on 17 September 2017, following the decision given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to disqualify Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from public office. PML (N) candidate Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif secured 61,745 votes and defeated Yasmin Rashid of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.^[1]

Background

Following the decision given by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to disqualify Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from public office, a by-election was triggered in his NA-120 constituency.^[1]

Immediately, speculation arose of PML (N) choosing the current Chief Minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif as a candidate for NA-120 as well as Prime Minister.^[2] Later on, however, Shehbaz Sharif was said to be continuing his position as Chief Minister of Punjab until 2018, ruling him out as a candidate. Subsequently, Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Kulsoom Nawaz, was chosen as the candidate for PML (N).^[3]

Campaign

The main challenger of Kulsoom Nawaz for the seat was Dr. Yasmin Rashid of PTI, who also contested the seat in 2013.^[4] She ran primarily on the issue that Nawaz Sharif and PML (N) were “corrupt” and that they did not do much for the constituency. The PML (N) campaign was run by Nawaz’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who claimed that the Supreme Court ruling was unfair and that Nawaz Sharif was the legitimate Prime Minister.^[5]

State of public education

NA-120 has only 73 government-run schools, while the last public school in the densely-populated constituency was established in 2012. NA-120 has around 73 government-run schools, with 43 for girls and 30 for boys. Out of the total, 15 are primary schools—nine for girls and six for boys, 18 are middle schools with 15 for girls and three for boys. There are also 32 high schools with 16 for girls and the same number for boys. Four are higher secondary schools with three for girls and a boys’ school, while four are mosque schools which are for boys only. The last school established in this constituency was a six-room primary school for boys in Manzoor Park on Bund Road in 2012. Since then, no new public school has been established in the area. Before that, Government Girls High School Rehman on Beadon Road was established in 2006, while no other public school was established in the 2000s. The first school of the constituency was Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Lady Maclagan on Lodge Road in Old Anarkali. This institute has the highest number of classrooms in the whole constituency at 75 and it was established in 1859. Moreover, a total of 25 new schools were established in the 1960s and 70s.^[6]

Result

References