The Karachi presidents of both Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lost against Muttahida Qaumi Movement candidate, in the third and last phase of local government polls here on Saturday, according to unofficial results. Moreover, the chief of Pakistan People's Party Karachi division was humbled by a candidate nominated by PTI-JI alliance.
-- PTI-JI alliance fares woefully poorly
-- PPP emerges victorious in Lyari, Malir
MQM was leading in the third phase of local government election by winning 121 UCs out of the total 247 in Karachi, according to unofficial results. According to unofficial results, Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Mazhar Hussain obtained 3,205 votes, defeating JI's Naeem-ur- Rehman who got only 702 votes. PTI candidate Ali Zaidi lost to MQM candidate Noshad Khan in UC-16 Soldier Bazaar, while PPP Karachi chief Najmi Alam suffered a defeat in UC-30, DawnNews reported.
In Karachi, PPP was second after winning 14 UCs from Lyari and Malir, PML-N 06, while PTI has won 9 UCs in different districts of the city. The third phase of local government's election was held in six districts of Karachi - District Central, District West, District Korangi, District East, District South and District Malir.
BR staff reporter Mohammad Saleem from Lahore adds:
The ruling PML-N is leading in Punjab in the 3rd phase of LG polls Elections held in 12 districts of Punjab on Saturday. Initial trends indicate that PML (N) is leading in Punjab in the 12 districts where elections were held. Spokesman from Punjab government Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri said that the third phase of local bodies' election completed in a peaceful manner in 12 districts of Punjab and zero tolerance policy of Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has proved fruitful.
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif monitored from London the steps taken for maintaining law and order in 12 districts of the province in the third and last phase of local bodies' elections.
BR staff reporter adds: Like first and second phase of local government (LG) elections in other parts of the country, ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday also dominated the third and final phase of local bodies' polls in Rawalpindi district followed by independent candidates.
According to unofficial results, PTI ended up at number three position as majority of its candidates fielded in different union councils of the city were defeated by either independent or ruling PML-N candidates. However, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, a nephew of Awami Muslim League of Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, managed to grab the chairmanship of UC-40, defeating his rivals. The PML-N local leadership had made hectic efforts to defeat the candidate of Sheikh Rashid, a staunch critic of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
As per unofficial results till filing of this report, PML-N has won 22 seats of chairmen, PTI 04 others 11 in Rawalpindi district. The three expected candidates of ruling PML-N for the top slots of mayors in Pindi district, successfully qualified by defeating their rivals. From UC-36, Sardar Nasim of PML-N elected as chairman, who is also president of PML-N Rawalpindi. He is also expected to be elected district Nazim Rawalpindi Independent candidate Auganzeb Zebi from UC-35 was declared as winner for the chairman's slot. Sami Gul Khan, another independent candidate from UC-33, elected chairman. UC-32 chairmanship was also won by Raja Shahid. UC-42 was won by Sajjad of PML-N, while in UC-31 PML-N's candidate was elected as chairman. UC-9 (Waris Khan) was snatched by Malik Anjum as chairman. Hamid Hussain Abbasi of PML-N was elected as chairman from UC-17. From UC-34, Amir Miruddin of PML-N elected as chairman.
As expected, PML-N emerged victorious by winning majority seats in Murree. On three Murree Municipal Corporation seats, two were clinched by PML-N, while one was won by an independent candidate. Out of total six seats of district council, PML-N won five; the sixth was grabbed by an independent candidate. Municipal Corporation Khauta was dominated by independents as eleven candidates defeated their rivals fielded by different political parties.
In Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, 16 candidates of ruling PML-N were declared victorious. Out of total six wards of UC-27, PTI and PML-N clichéd three seats each. However, PTI emerged victorious in Taxila, causing a serious setback to PML-N by winning in six union councils out of the total eight while one went to an independent. PML-N would win only in one union council in Taxila.
The polling process in the city was characterised by a low turnout, sporadic incidents of violence and mismanagement in some of the union councils. Polling in the Rawalpindi district started at 7:30am amid tight security, and ended at 5:30pm. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) turned down the requests by several political parties to extend the polling time beyond 5:30pm.
There were total 22,81,483 voters; of whom 12,27,638 were male and 10,53,445 female in the six municipal committees, district council and union councils in district Rawalpindi. The ECP had set up 1,771 polling stations in the district. In a total of 158 union councils in Rawalpindi district, 439 polling stations were set up for men and the same number of polling stations established for women separately. Around 893 polling stations were set up for male and female voters on combined premises, where male and female cast their votes at segregated polling booths.
As many as 4,465 polling booths were established in the district where voters cast their votes while 1,771 presiding officers performed their duties at polling stations and 8,578 assistant presiding officers at polling stations in the district. Around 4,465 polling officers were deputed at 4,465 polling booths in the district.