Bahawalpur: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Malik Munir Iqbal Channar has won the by-election for National Assembly constituency NA-168 Bahawalpur-V, according to the official result issued by the Returning Officer. According to the official results, Malik Munir Iqbal Channar secured 87,789 votes, emerging victorious in the by-election, while his closest rival, independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema, obtained 39,888 votes. The result showed a clear margin between the two leading candidates.
A total of 142,320 votes were polled in the constituency, of which 140,847 were declared valid, while the overall voter turnout stood at 29.46 percent.
The by-election was held on Sunday, with polling commencing at 8 am and continuing until 5 pm. The constituency comprises 292 polling stations and has more than 483,000 registered voters. Polling remained largely peaceful, with security arrangements put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process. The NA-168 seat had fallen vacant following the death of sitting PML-N MNA Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar in August 2026. The PML-N subsequently nominated his son, Malik Munir Iqbal Channar, to contest the by-election from the constituency.
Independent candidate Wali Dad Cheema, son of former federal minister and MNA Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema, was the principal challenger in the contest. The election therefore drew considerable political attention in Bahawalpur, with the contest centered largely on the two candidates. With his victory, Malik Munir Iqbal Channar has secured the NA-168 seat for the PML-N following the death of his father. The result formally fills the National Assembly seat that had remained vacant following the death of Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar and gives the PML-N continued representation from NA-168.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif congratulated him on his victory and said that the result reflected the confidence of voters in the PML-N. The prime minister also felicitated Malik Munir Iqbal Channar’s brother, Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar, on the election result. The prime minister also acknowledged the political and parliamentary services of the late Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar and said his son’s election represented a continuation of his public service and association with the PML-N.