LODHRAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)'s Jahangir Tareen defeated the PML-N's Siddique Baloch by over 35,000 votes in the by-poll for the NA-154 constituency in Lodhran district, according to unofficial results.

Tareen secured 129,606 votes while Baloch followed with 93,183 votes, DawnNews reported.

"Despite spending billions, defeat is the fate of the PML-N," Tareen told his supporters following the win.

In the 2013 general election Jahangir Tareen was the runner up from NA-154. Siddique Baloch had, as an independent candidate, defeated Tareen by a margin of 10,000 votes.

But in a petition with the election tribunal, Tareen accused Baloch of possessing a fake degree and committing irregularities during the 2013 general election.

The tribunal eventually disqualified the PML-N lawmaker in August this year, barring him from contesting election for possessing a fake degree.

The Supreme Court, however, set aside one of the tribunal’s decisions and ordered re-election, allowing Baloch to contest again.

The victory is likely to give the PTI a new lease on life as the party failed to make an impression in the recent local government elections in Punjab.

The PTI tweeted a celebratory picture on Wednesday night as unofficial results showed Tareen winning the polls with a clear lead.

PTI leadership and supporters also began congratulating Jahangir Tareen on the micro-blogging website.

PTI's Punjab Organiser Muhammad Sarwar said, "Justice has prevailed. Victory is ours."

NA-154 was among the four controversial constituencies — the other three being NA-110 (Sialkot), NA-125 (Lahore) and NA-122 (Lahore) — where PTI had demanded voters’ thumbprint verification before its street protest against alleged rigging in the 2013 general election.