PTI wins big in K-P local polls

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has won the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, dealing a heavy blow to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), which registered huge gains in the first phase of voting over three months ago.

In the second phase, voting was held in 65 tehsils in 18 districts of the provinces on Thursday. The PTI, which had gained early lead in the vote count, was able to translate it into a polls victory as more and more complete results poured in on Friday.

In the second phase, polling also took place in 1,830 union councils. Till late Friday, the results from 48 tehsil councils were compiled, out of which PTI candidates had been declared winner in 19. However, the party claims victory in 32. In the second place ithe JUI-F was trailing with victory in 8 tehsil councils.

They are followed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 5 wins; Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), 3; Awami National Party (ANP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and independents 2 each, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Rah-e-Haq Party (RHP) and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) one each.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the PTI won in Barikot, Swat district; Bezai, Batkhela and Dargai, Malakand; Khal, Balambat and Adizai, Lower Dir; Larjam in Upper Dir; Puran and Bisham, Shangla;  Mastuj, Chitral; Oghi, Mansehra and Tanawal and Abbottabad, Abbottabad.

The JUI-F won in Alai, Batgram, Timergarha, Lower Dir; Torghar; Upper Orakzai; Cheskar, Shangla; Bankat, Lower Kohistan; Kandian, Upper Kohistan and North Waziristan. Councils in Lora, Abbottabad; Besham and Cheskar, Shangla; Kalkot, Upper Dir and Mansehra went to the PML-N.

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The ANP’s victories included Martang tehsil of Shangla; Darband tehsil of Mansehra; Lower Kohistan; North Waziristan; Dormela tehsil of Torghar; and Havelian tehsil of Ahbatabad. The JI won in the Samar Bagh tehsil of Lower Dir and Dir tehsil of Upper Dir.

State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib said that the PTI under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan swept the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In a tweet, he said that stooges of external powers got the first result of public no-confidence in them.

The state minister tagged a copy of unofficial results of the K-P local government elections which showed PTI was winning 32 seats, while the independents were leading in 12, JUI-F in 7, PML-N in 4 and the PPP only in 1.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja appreciated the cooperation of law-enforcement agencies—Police, Pakistan Army, Frontier Constabulary and Frontier Corps on the successful completion of the local government election process in K-P.

He said that both the phases of the K-P local elections had been successfully completed and the manner in which all the institutions and departments concerned remained active was commendable. He hoped the local bodies elections in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad, too, would be held successfully.

In the first phase, voting was held in 17 districts of the province on December 19, in which the JUI-F had won in 23 tehsils and towns. The PTI had come second with 19 seats, followed by nine independent candidates.