JUI-F candidate wins Peshawar mayor seat in re-polling

PESHAWAR:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) candidate on Sunday won the seat for the coveted post of Peshawar mayor in re-polling at six polling stations, according to unofficial and unverified 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 at six polling stations in 13 districts for local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). 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.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the re-polling had to be held on various seats of local councils where elections were terminated either due to the deteriorated law and order situation on polling day or the death of the contesting candidates during the first phase of the local bodies’ polls.

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 has bagged 45,000 votes.

Umar Gandapur leads DI Khan polls
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Umar Amin Gandapur was leading the mayoral polls in Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) on Sunday, according to the unofficial results.

The unverified results of 122 out of 296 polling stations showed the PTI’s Umar Amin Gandapur was leading with 22,688 votes. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) candidate Kafeel Nizami was behind with 14,300 votes.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Faisal Karim Kundi stood third with 10,800 votes.

Nowshehra Tehsil

Meanwhile, unofficial results out of 231 polling stations of Nowshera Tehsil Council.
In 231 polling stations, Muhammad Ishaq Khan Khattak, son of Defence Minister Pervez Khan Khattak of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came first with 49,310 votes and Hakim Ali Khel of JUI-F came second with 41,051 votes, followed by Ahad Khan Khattak of PPP.

Tehsil Council Khar

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 18,732 votes. Haroon Al-Rasheed of Jamaat-e-Islami got 18,038 votes.

The districts where polls were held include Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Laki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Buner, Bajaur, Karak, Khyber and Mohmand.

A total of 710,472 voters - 362,924 male and 347,548 female exercised their constitutional right today.
Seven polling stations and 28 polling booths were set up in three neighbourhood councils.
In neighbourhood council-3, a total of 12,913 voters exercised their right to franchise.

Meanwhile, 9,322 voters — out of whom 4,864 were males and 4,458 females — cast their votes at polling station number 5 in neighbourhood council- 22 Qadirabad.

At the outset of polling, activists of political parties started to gather outside the polling station. In order to avert any untoward incidents, polling camps were set up away from the polling stations. Heavy contingents of police were deployed inside and outside the polling stations.