Lahore: It seems that the Rana Mashhood card has worked well for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz as the party got three more votes than its original strength in the Punjab Assembly during the Senate by-polls held on Wednesday. Although, the nominee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Dr Shehzad Waseem, clinched the Senate seat from Punjab by defeating PML-N’s Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan but PTI’s victory margin was reduced to just 12 votes, raising alarm bells within the ruling alliance’s camp as the it was elected into office with a lead of 22 seats. As per details, 351 votes were cast on Wednesday for the Senate seat of Punjab that fell vacant after the resignation of Chaudhry Sarwar and PTI’s Dr Shehzad Waseem got 181 votes, while PML-N’s Khawaja Hassaan managed to get 169 votes. A vote was declared invalid. The vote count of Dr Waseem is the lowest of a PTI backed candidate in the various elections held on the principle of secret ballot in the Punjab Assembly since July 25 general elections. Earlier, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari and Dr Arif Alvi got 201, 187 and 186 votes in the elections of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and President of Pakistan, respectively. On the other hand, the PML-N got the maximum number of votes so far in elections held following the July 25 polls. Earlier, its candidates Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar, Waris Shad and Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman got 147, 159 and 141 votes, respectively, for the slot of Speaker, Deputy Speaker and President of Pakistan. The PML-N has 159 MPAs in Punjab Assembly while PPP’s seven MPAs also cast votes for Khwaja Hassaan on Wednesday. Thus, the PML-N candidate secured three votes on top of these votes. The rumour mill suggests that Rana Mashood’s interview was a well calculated move by the PML-N to give an impression that it had garnered the support of the security establishment to keep the party intact and get maximum seats in by-elections to be held on October 14. Talking to the media at the Punjab Assembly, PML-N legislator Samiullah Khan said that today’s election has exposed the first 40-days performance of PTI as it couldn’t get the votes according to its strength in the house. “We don’t believe in any sort of undemocratic or illegal activity and getting three more votes than our strength is the result of our better political strategy this time,” Khan said. Further, he said that Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is openly violating the sanctity of his office while giving statements to media and claiming that there are cracks in the PML-N. He said the reality is that cracks have in fact emerged in the PTI. He thanked the parliamentary party of the PPP in the Punjab Assembly for supporting PML-N candidate. Meanwhile, newly elected Senator Dr Shehzad said that he will be the only member of PTI in the upper house of the Parliament from Punjab, so he will definitely fight the case of Punjab in the Senate. “I am thankful to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, Senior minister Punjab Aleem Khan and the parliamentary party of PTI and our coalition partners in Punjab for reposing confidence in me for this election,” he said. Senior minister Aleem Khan tried to dispel the impression that PTI’s candidate couldn’t get the votes according to the party position, and said that three MPAs of the party were out of country, and, therefore, they couldn’t cast their votes. Published in Daily Times, October 4th 2018.