Pakistan: Former premier’s wife wins by-election

The wife of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was elected as a parliamentarian after defeating an opposition candidate in a closely-fought contest on Sunday, according to unofficial results. Kalsoom Nawaz managed to win the election from northeastern Lahore city — a stronghold of her husband’s Pakistan Muslim League (PML) — after garnering over 59,000 votes.

She is currently being treated for cancer in the UK. Sharif’s daughter, Maryam, led the campaign for the seat in Lahore.

Her rival candidate, Dr. Yasmin Rashid from Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) of Pakistan’s former cricket star Imran Khan, obtained more than 46,000 votes, local Dunya TV reported, quoting unofficial results.

The seat had fallen vacant after the country’s Supreme Court disqualified Sharif in whistleblower Panama Papers scandal on July 28.

In 2013 elections, the former premier Sharif had secured over 91,000 votes and won the election by a thumping lead of more than 40,000.

http://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/pakistan-former-premiers-wife-wins-by-election-2793823