The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday inflicted a humiliating defeat on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in local bodies' elections held on Saturday in two cantonment boards - Rawalpindi and Chaklala - as the party clinched 19 out of total 20 seats. According to unofficial results, PML-N clinched all the ten seats in Chaklala cantonment board while nine out of ten seats in Rawalpindi cantonment board.
The only party which secured one seat from Chaklala cantonment is Jamaat-e-Islami. Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Awami Muslim League (AML), who had made an electoral alliance with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) of Dr Tahirul Qadri, failed to get even a single seat out of total 20 seats in Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards.
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was also completely wiped out in the two cantonment board elections which consist of areas that fall under three National Assembly constituencies - NA-52, NA-54 and NA-56 as well as five provincial assembly constituencies. In the 2013 general election, NA-52 constituency was won by interior minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan of PML-N, while NA-54 was also won by PML-N candidate Malik Abrar.
The ruling PML-N emerged victorious from the constituencies which fall in cantonment areas. Chaklala and Rawalpindi cantonment board elections have proved to be a big setback for PTI, as the two cantonment boards fall in the jurisdiction of NA-56, from where PTI chairman Imran Khan had inflicted a humiliating defeat on Hanif Abbasi of PML-N in the 2013 general elections.
The turnout was also not up to the mark as expected by different political parties. However, long queues were seen outside polling stations as polling drew to a close. Strict security arrangements were made by the law enforcement agencies during the local bodies' election in two cantonment boards where total 316 polling stations were set up, while 164 candidates were in the run.
Over 4,000 police personnel, hundreds of Army troops and Pakistan rangers performed security duties at 215 polling stations in Rawalpindi and 101 polling stations in Chaklala cantonment boards for ensuring smooth conduct of polling. The police arrested workers of some political parties' for violating the code of conduct of Election Commission of Pakistan.
Following election results, some people resorted to firing in air in some parts of the garrison city. The police arrested the people involved in firing after Chief Minister Punjab and ECP took notice of it. Police and army troops deployed at polling stations allowed voters to enter polling stations after examining their CNICs. The law enforcement agencies did not allow cell phones inside polling station.
The district administration had declared emergency at hospitals in the city and cantonment areas to cope with any emergency situation. The city police also tightened security across the city and set up additional pickets for monitoring movement of traffic and commuters. Earlier, ballot boxes and ballot papers were transported to different polling stations under tight security of army personnel.
The PML-N candidates who emerged victorious from Chaklala cantonment board included Raja Pervez Akhter, Chaudhary Changez Khan, Mian Ayaz, Khalid Butt, Chaudhary Khurram, Malik Khurram, Muhammad Jamil, Raja Irfan, Azhar Naeem while Khalid Hameed Mirza belongs to JI. The PML-N candidates who won from Rawalpindi cantonment board include: Malik Sajid, Malik Usman, Muhammad Shafie, Rashid Khan, Malik Maqsood, Raja Jehandad, Malik Masood, Arshad Qureshi, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Shehbaz Mughal.
MONITORING DESK adds: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has taken the lead, bagging 67 out of the 199 seats, in the Cantonment Elections held across the country on Saturday, according to unofficial results. The PML-N was followed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has secured 43 seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party bagged six seats, while the Muttahida Qaumi Movement secured 19 seats. The Jamat-e-Islami has secured four seats while the Awami National Party has bagged two seats. Independent candidates have secured 55 seats in total, a private TV channel reported late night.