First phase of local government elections will be held in Punjab and Sindh on October 31, while the main battlefield seems to be Lahore in the Punjab as the party leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are focusing on their home city. A large number of candidates are contesting as independents on seats of councillors, chairman and vice chairman both in Punjab and Sindh.
According to Election Commission of Pakistan, elections would be held in 13 districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujrat, Lodhran, Vehari, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahwalnagar, Bhakkar, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, and Chakwal. In Sindh, elections would be held in Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur, Qamber Shahdadkot, Jacobabad and Kashmore districts.
A PML-N leader in Sindh Masroor Jatoi said some 22 percent candidates have already been elected unopposed with the majority belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). "We don't say it is pre-poll rigging but obviously people are more inclined to vote for the ruling party for numerous reasons," he said, adding that his party has fielded candidates in all districts and is hopeful to win many of them. In Punjab, the ruling PML-N is facing difficulties in reconciling its different opposing groups for example like in Faisalabad where Chaudhry Sher Ali group has fielded its candidates against his own party, the PML-N.
"If the differences are not bridged between the PML-N leaders and Chaudhry Sher Ali, the latter could ask his son Abid Sher Ali to resign from state ministership after the local government elections," a PML-N member said. He said efforts are underway to resolve the differences as this could damage the party the most in the next general elections. In Lahore, the PML-N has managed to get one of its candidates Khawaja Ahmad Hassan elected unopposed as chairman of Union Council number 107. The PTI has, however, accused Hassan of harassing his opponents for withdrawing their candidacy. According to unofficial results, Hassan has been declared winner unopposed after opponent Muhammad Nawaz withdrew his candidacy.
Talking to Business Recorder, PTI Punjab President Ijaz Chaudhry said the candidature of Hassan has been challenged in the Lahore High Court for harassing opposing candidates. "The PML-N believes in threatening its opponents through Punjab police and other government departments," he said, adding that two of his party's workers were allegedly killed Sunday night by the 'PML-N goons.'
The PTI has made seat adjustments for the local government polls with Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistani Awami Tahreek on some seats in Punjab. "In Lahore only, the PTI has awarded tickets to 266 candidates out of 274 seats in the city," he said, adding the party has fielded its candidates in all other 12 districts as well for all positions including councillors and chairmen. Talking about differences within the party, he said that reconciliation committees at district levels have been set up to sort out differences and disputes within the party with respect to contesting local government elections.
"The committees are working under our elected MNAs and MPAs in both Punjab and Sindh provinces to resolve the intra-party differences and choose more viable candidates for different positions," he said. Chaudhry, however, said that no ticket has been awarded to any relative of the MNAs and MPAs as per instructions of the party chairman Imran Khan.
The PTI has once again demanded deployment of army in the local government elections but the Punjab Election Commission has told the media that so far the Commission has not decided on whether to deploy the army in the elections, but added that it could be deployed after getting reports from the relevant departments.
Since 1979, it is for the eighth time that LG polls are being held in Punjab. Under dictatorial rules of Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf, LG polls were held fives time - in 1979, 1983, 1987, 2001 and 2005. Under a civilian government, it is the third time that local government elections would be held; previously polls were held in 1991 and 1998, both times when Muslim League was in power.