The Aporia · Polling underway in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election

Polling underway in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election

Read the original at Dawn ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Gabol, I. (2026, September 27). Polling underway in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/2033024/polling-underway-in-na-168-bahawalpur-by-election

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

On Sunday, polling took place in NA-168 Bahawalpur for a by-election following the death of Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August. The race is tight between PML-N candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar and independent Wali Dad Cheema. With 483,143 registered voters including 248,259 men and 234,614 women across 292 polling stations, the Election Commission of Pakistan extended voting hours for those present by 8pm if needed. The Punjab Home Department requested deployment of army troops and Rangers to ensure a peaceful election after an armed clash injured three people during Cheema's campaign rally on September 12.

Written by AI on 2026-10-02, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

The NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election took place on September 27, with PML-N's Malik Munir Iqbal Channar facing independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema. The seat became vacant after the death of sitting MNA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August. Voting began at 8 AM and ended at 5 PM, with extensions allowed for voters already present within polling station boundaries.

The election saw a mix of support dynamics, with PPP withdrawing its candidate to back Channar under a coalition agreement, while PTI decided not to participate due to current circumstances. The total electorate numbered 483,143 people, including 248,259 men and 234,614 women, spread across 292 polling stations.

Despite minor disruptions, such as a brawl in Akhtarabad that briefly halted voting, the process concluded largely peacefully. According to unofficial results, Channar secured 62,713 votes compared to Cheema's 31,293 votes, indicating PML-N’s likely retention of the seat.

Written for “Na-168 By-election Results” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 11% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Polling concludes in Bahawalpur's NA-168 by-election Same event

Dawn

Hedges 2 of 13 claims Outlet record 72/100

Polling concludes in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election Same event

Dawn

Hedges 1 of 14 claims Outlet record 72/100

PML-N claims victory in Bahawalpur by-poll Same event

Dawn

Hedges 2 of 16 claims Outlet record 72/100

2 heavyweights emerge for NA-168 by-polls today Same event

Dawn

Hedges 7 of 27 claims Outlet record 72/100

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

11%

1 of 9 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

72/100

Dawn's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Politics

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-09-27 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Dawn · 2602 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

2026-10-07

POLICY: THE ISLAMIC DEBATE OVER CRYPTO

2026-10-01

Tennessee woman in hospital after execution 'failed': lawyers

2026-09-20

An eye on Balochistan border

Who wrote this

Imran Gabol

13 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 However, the analysis could not establish the individual contribution of each factor.

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Lahore's air quality index crosses 530 as pollution reaches hazardous levels

🔮 The report noted that these districts lie around Lahore, meaning smoke from agricultural fires across different parts of the province could contribute to the city’s deteriorating air quality, depending on wind direction.

2026-10-31 · assertive framing · Pakistan’s Punjab records 4.2 times more crop-fire detections than Indian Punjab: report

🔮 In August, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that the festival would next be celebrated from March 12-14.

2026-10-23 · assertive framing · Lahore DC gives formal go-ahead for 3-day Basant festivities in March 2027, outlines conditions and restrictions

🔮 In August, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced that the festival would next be celebrated from March 12-14.

2026-10-23 · assertive framing · Lahore DC give formal go-ahead for 3-day Basant festivities in 2027, outlines conditions and restrictions

🔮 Rescue 1122 reported 43,160 road traffic crashes, resulting in 23,013 serious injuries and 434 deaths during the month of May across Punjab.

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Traffic accident on Multan’s Bosan Road kills 5 men in their 20s

🔮 He added that people travelling in private vehicles could use the roads.

2026-10-11 · assertive framing · Intercity transport suspended in Lahore, bus terminals reportedly sealed

🔮 Spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan, Huda Gohar, told Dawn that voters present within the boundaries of the polling station will be allowed to cast their vote past 5pm as well.

2026-09-27 · assertive framing · Polling concludes in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election

🔮 Polling began at 8am and is expected to conclude at 5pm.

2026-09-27 · assertive framing · Polling underway in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election

🔮 On the other hand, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had said the party would not participate in any electoral process under the current circumstances.

2026-09-27 · mixed framing · 2 heavyweights emerge for NA-168 by-polls today

🔮 The Mian Channu hospital officials told the media that more than 60 patients were receiving dialysis at the facility and HIV could not be transmitted through the dialysis process.

2026-09-27 · mixed framing · Four dialysis patients test positive for HIV at Mian Channu hospital

Also by Imran Gabol

Lahore's air quality index crosses 530 as pollution reaches hazardous levels

2026-11-02 · Dawn

Pakistan’s Punjab records 4.2 times more crop-fire detections than Indian Punjab: report

2026-10-31 · Dawn

Prime suspect in Gujranwala bride's murder killed in alleged exchange of fire, claims CCD

2026-10-31 · Dawn

Lahore DC gives formal go-ahead for 3-day Basant festivities in March 2027, outlines conditions and restrictions

2026-10-23 · Dawn

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 13 articles by Imran Gabol →

Topics

BAHAWALPUR Dawn PML-N’s the Election Commission of Pakistan the Punjab Home Department

Subjects

BAHAWALPUR GPE · 2× Cheema PERSON · 2× Dawn ORG · 1× Huda Gohar PERSON · 1× Malik Munir Iqbal Channar PERSON · 1× Muhammad Iqbal Channar PERSON · 1× PML-N’s ORG · 1× Wali Dad Cheema PERSON · 1× the Election Commission of Pakistan ORG · 1× the Punjab Home Department ORG · 1×

Narrative

Leading up to the by-election, on September 12, in an armed clash, three persons were injured at Baqirpur in connection with the election campaign of Cheema, who is the son of former PML-Q federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-27

🔮 Polling began at 8am and is expected to conclude at 5pm.

2026-09-27 · Dawn

Polling underway in NA-168 Bahawalpur by-election · assertive framing

Claims (9 extracted, 1 hedged)

Polling was underway on Sunday in the NA-168 Bahawalpur by-poll, with a close contest expected between PML-N’s Malik Munir Iqbal Channar and independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema. asserted

contest → expect → Channar

Polling began at 8am and is expected to conclude at 5pm. asserted

Polling → begin → pm

Spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan Huda Gohar told Dawn that voters present within the boundaries of the polling station will be allowed to cast their vote past 5pm as well. asserted

voters → tell → pm

The constituency fell vacant after the death of Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August, whose son is now the ruling party candidate. asserted

son → fall → August

According to data from the provincial Election Commissioner’s office, a total of 483,143 people are registered in the constituency, including 248,259 men and 234,614 women, with a total of 292 polling stations. uncertain

total → accord → stations

At the polling stations, 307 presiding officers and 941 polling officers and assistant presiding officers have been deployed. asserted

officers → preside → stations

A day earlier, the Punjab Home Department requested the Interior Ministry for deployment of troops of the Pakistan Army and Rangers (Punjab) in the constituency for smooth, peaceful and secure conduct of the by-election. asserted

Department → request → election

who → lead → Cheema

As per Rescue 1122 sources, during Cheema’s election rally, the clash occurred between the supporters of the rival candidates, and some of them resorted to firing, resulting in injuries to three people. asserted

some → occur → people