PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has consolidated its position after re-polling in 13 districts for the first phase of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government elections, by leading with 23 seats of tehsil chairpersons, while KP’s ruling party PTI stands second with 18 seats, according to unofficial and preliminary results.
JUI-F won on 23 seats of tehsil chairpersons, while KP’s ruling party PTI stands second with 18 seats, 10 independents, ANP seven, PML-N 3, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Tehreek-e-Islahat Pakistan (TIP) two each, and PPP become successful on one seat, while QWP failed to gain any seat, as per preliminary and unofficial results issued, here on Monday.
Those candidates of JUI-F, who won on mayor, chairmanship seats and others, in local bodies elections, after re-polling in 13 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa included Haji Muhammad Zubair (Peshawar), Haroon Sifat (Pishtakhara), Faridullah (Mathra), Mufti Talha (Badhber), Kalimullah (Shahalam), Rahim Jadoon (Swabi), Mufti Hammad (Mardan), Mubarak Ahmad (Mardan), Abdul Rauf (Charsadda), Hamza Asif (Shabqadar), Maulana Saeed (Takht Bhai), Sadam Hussain (Tank), Bannu Mayor, Bakakhel Bannu, Frontier Region (FR) Lakki Marwat, FR Bannu, Bajuar district, Mohmand Upper, Mohmand Lower, FR Tank, Thall Tehsil, Hangu, Kohat Mayor and Tehsil Bara, Khyber district, according to spokesman of JUI-F.
Meanwhile, the ruling PTI has tremendously gained success in DI Khan, Nowshera, Karak, Bajuar, Domail and Jehangira. JUI-F faced defeat in its stronghold DI Khan as PTI won mayoral seat in the district.
After PTI’s success on the mayoral seat in Dera Ismail Khan in the ongoing re-polling for the first phase of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government elections, JUI-F has left the ruling party behind on the elections on 66 tehsil councils in the DIK district.
Haji Zubair Ali of JUI-F has retained coveted post of Peshawar mayor after holding of re-polling in six polling stations in Peshawar, according to unofficial results.
In the last election, Zubair Ali got 62,388 votes while his rival Rizwan Bangash of PTI got 50,659 votes. During the re-election, Zubair Ali took the lead with 63,418 votes. While PTI Rizwan Bangash managed to get a total of 51,395 votes by getting 736 votes, as per preliminary and unofficial results.
According to the unofficial results, JUI-F’s Zubair Ali — a relative of party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman — won by securing 1030 votes in re-polling. PTI’s Rizwan Bangash received 736 votes and JUI’s candidate Muhammad Haroon won at a neighbourhood council.
PTI-backed candidate Faqir Muhammad won the seat of Qadirabad council chairman.
The polling began at 8am and continued until 5pm without any break.
Elections were postponed due to commotion at seven polling stations in Peshawar in the December 19 local government elections.
JUI-F’s Zubair Ali had secured 62,388 in the Dec 19 polls. PTI’s Rizwan Bangash received 50,669 votes and PPP’s Zarak Arbab bagged 45,000 votes.
Similarly, according to unofficial results, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Umar Amin Gandapur won the Dera Ismail Khan mayoral election by defeating JUI-F candidate Muhammad Kafeel Nizami by over 20,000 votes.
Umar Amin Gandapur secured 63,753 votes while the JUI’s Muhammad Kafeel Nizami bagged only 38,891 votes. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Faisal Karim Kundi remained third with 32,788 votes.
According to the unofficial results of Kohat Tehsil, Chairman Dara Adamkhel, independent candidate Shahid Bilal won with 2279 votes. Independent candidate Abrar Muhammad Afridi got 1089 votes.
According to the unofficial result of 188 polling stations in Khar Tehsil Council of Bajaur district, Syed Badshah of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam has won with 18,732 votes. JI Haroon Al-Rasheed got 18,038 votes.
According to the unofficial results of re-polling at 14 polling stations in Tehsil Karak, Azmat Khattak of PTI won with 3578 votes. Abdul Rehman of ANP got 2,460 votes. In all, Azmat Khattak got 20,022 votes at 150 polling stations. Abdul Rehman of ANP got 16,219 votes in total.
JUI-F won the seat of Chairman Tehsil Council Bara. According to unofficial results of re-polling at five polling stations, independent candidate Abdul Razzaq Afridi got 985 votes. Mufti Muhammad Kafeel of JUI-F got 535 votes and won with a total of 8,075 votes. His opponent Abdul Razzaq Afridi got a total of 7,719 votes.
According to the unofficial results of four polling stations, Inayatullah Khattak of PTI won with 1,256 votes. Khalid Khattak of JUI-F got 826 votes. Inayatullah Khattak’s total votes turned out to be 14,534. While Khalid Khattak total turned out to be 12,956 votes.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday directed the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) to hear views of all parties in the case, including the KP government.
“The Election Commission should hear arguments of all parties and issue appropriate orders on Tuesday”, said the apex court and added that the election body should listen to all arguments on Tuesday (today).
The SC also wrapped up the case against the earlier decision of the Peshawar High Court (PHC).
On February 9, the Supreme Court suspended the PHC’s decision, in which it postponed the second phase of the KP local government elections scheduled for March 27.
A two-member division bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, heard the case and issued notices to all involved parties.
On February 4, the Abbottabad bench of the PHC had postponed the next phase of the LG elections, a decision that was welcomed by the Hazara Province Movement, which vowed to field candidates from every district and village council of the Hazara Division, including Battagram, Allai and Torghar.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a statement had urged the ECP to challenge the decision in Supreme Court after the PHC decision. He called it a conspiracy on the part of the KP government to delay the elections.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022