Unofficial by-election results show that the ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf party (PTI) and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) each appear to have won four seats in the lower house of parliament.
Pakistanis voted on October 14 to elect 11 members of the lower house, known as the National Assembly, and to fill 24 seats in provincial assemblies.
According to preliminary figures, the PTI won in the 53, 60, 63, and 243 constituencies.
The PML-N won seats in the 56, 103, 131, and 124 constituencies.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid e Azam (PML-Q) won two seats, while the Mutihida Majlis-e-Amal Party (MMA) won one seat.
For the first time, Pakistanis living abroad could cast their ballots online. Officials said that 7,364 people applied to vote online and were declared eligible.
Pakistan’s main opposition parties have formed an electoral alliance against the ruling PTI in an effort to increase their representation in the national and provincial legislatures.
PTI leader Imran Khan became prime minister after the party won the most parliamentary seats in that vote, which was marred by allegations of massive rigging.
The by-elections were held for seats that were vacated by candidates who had won more than one seat in the July 25 general elections. Some 370 candidates competed for the 11 National Assembly seats.
The National Assembly has 342 members, 272 of which are directly elected. The rest are reserved for women and 10 for religious minorities.
The ruling coalition had 176 seats prior to the vote.
Geo TV reported that former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif arrived at a polling station in the NA-124 constituency of Lahore but was unable to vote because he did not have his national identity card.
Khan cast his vote in the NA-53 constituency in the capital, Islamabad.
