Second phase: PML-N sweeps LG reserved seats

Party strengthens grip in region

RAWALPINDI: Candidates of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday won the most seats in the election held on reserved seats in the district council and the municipal corporation.

In the second phase of the local government elections, candidates contested on 25 reserved seats in the district council and 17 seats in the municipal corporation. Chairpersons of 109 union councils in the district council and 46 UCs in the municipal corporation voted for the candidates.

In the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), the PML-N held sway and won all 17 seats. There are 10 seats for women members, one for youth, two each for workers, minorities, and technocrats. The candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, and Awami Muslim League could not win any.

As for the district council, consisting of rural UCs, is concerned, the PML-N candidate won 22 out of total 25 seats. A woman candidate of PTI won her seat and two independent candidates won two seats reserved for women.

The polling for the reserved seats started at 8am and continued till 4pm. Voting for the district council was conducted at meeting hall of Potohar Town Municipal Administration as the administrator of the town was the returning officer.

The voting for Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation was held at the hall of Rawal Town Municipal Administration where the administrator was the returning officer.

The results of the reserved seats have strengthened the grip of the ruling PML-N in Rawalpindi. The party is now in even better position to fill the mayor’s slot RMC and chairperson for the district council.

ATTOCK

Meanwhile, PML-N has bagged eight seats out of 15 special seats of women in district council while PML-Q Major Group got five, and PTI took one seat. Chairmen of the 71 union councils voted, with Professor Tauqeer serving as presiding officer.

Unofficial results show that the elected women include Tauseefa Gulnaz, Farida Bibi, Noor Jahan, Amna Bibi, Shaheen Bibi, Asma Bibi, Farhat Nisar Malik, and Naziran Bibi from PML-N, Eman Tahir, Resham Jan, Sabiha Nazli, Noor Jahan, and Fauzia from PML-Q, and Riffat Shaheen from PTI.  The last seat would be decided by a coin toss between Bibi Farzana of PTI and Safia Begum of the PML-N as both women bagged three votes each. Malik Sajjad advocate bagged 37 votes to take the solitary technocrat seat that was up for grabs.

with additional input from app

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2016.