Dr Kaleemullah Kakar elected Quetta mayor

Election Commissioner Balochistan says elections were held in major parts of the province peacefully

QUETTA:

Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) Dr Kaleemullah Kakar was elected mayor and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Younus Baloch deputy mayor of Quetta, according to unofficial results of the local bodies (LB) elections held in Balochistan on Wednesday.

Election Commissioner Balochistan Sultan Bayazeed said that the elections were held in major parts of the province peacefully. However, elections could not be organised in five to six district councils and municipal committees due to the lack of quorum. “Two-third of the total members were required to complete the quorum for starting the election,” he said.

The election commissioner said the official results would be announced in a day or two.

Dr Kaleemullah Kakar, 78, a candidate for the Watan Dost Panel, an alliance of PkMAP, National Party (NP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), bagged 54 votes against the total 84 votes.

The All Party Democratic Alliance’s (APDA) Abdul Qahir Achakzai obtained a mere 14 votes while Insaaf Panel’s Khuda Baksh picked up four votes. PML-N’s councillor and former Nazim of Quetta Abdul Raheem Kakar boycotted the election while Supreme Court restrained one of the councillors from using his vote.

The PML-N managed to grab the position of deputy mayor of Quetta after reaching an agreement with PkMAP. Younus Baloch clinched 56 votes against the total 84 votes. APDA’s Raza Wakeel from HDP stood second with 13 votes while Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) Munwara Bibi secured just four votes.

Dr Kakar, while talking to The Express Tribune, said his first priorities were to improve the law and order and infrastructure of Quetta. “It is a huge burden but I am prepared to take it as a challenge,” he affirmed, adding that “the heavy traffic is the main issue in Quetta.”

Kaleemullah, who was born in Pishin district about 43km off Quetta in 1937, heads Kaleemullah Health Foundation in Quetta – a hospital of 300 beds.

APDA’s Naeem Bazai, from JUI-Nazriati, was elected chairman of District Council Quetta while PkMAP’s Asmatullah Bazai as deputy.

The elections were not held for the chairmen and deputy chairmen of Qila Abdullah Municipal Corporation, Qila Abdullah District Council, Mastung District Council, Bolan District Council, Awaran Municipal Committee, Kalat Municipal Committee, Zhob District Council, Gwadar Municipal Committee and Qila Sailfullah District Council.

“The elections were not held in these districts due to the lack of quorum,” the Election Commissioner Balochistan told The Express Tribune. “Not a single incident of violence was reported during the electoral exercise across Balochistan. I congratulate the provincial government for ensuring peace during the elections,” he said.

The coalition partners PML-N, PkMAP and NP have secured a majority of the chairmen and deputy chairmen seats in Balochistan. However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Nazryati (JUI-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) gave tough fight to the ruling parties in northern areas of Balochistan.

Pishin Municipal Corporation Committee elected Sharaf Agha of PkMAP as chairman as he secured 32 votes.  PkMAP’s Mohmeed Essa Roshan obtained 51 votes and was elected as District Council Chairman Pishin.

Mir Raheem Kurd of NP was elected chairman of Khuzdar Municipal Corporation and JUI-F’s Mufti Abdul Qadir Shahwani as deputy.  In Khuzdar District Council, PML-N’s Agha Shakeel Durrani was elected as chairman and NP’s Hameed Advocate as deputy.

In Turbat, Feda Dashti of the ruling NP was elected as chairman of Turbat Municipal Corporation and Mohammed Naseem as deputy.

In Lasbela District Council, Ghulam Akbar Lasi was elected chairman and Qadir Baksh Jamoot as deputy. They were from Jam panel and backed by the PML-N.

District Council Jaffarabad elected Mir Zubair Khan Jamali as chairman and Mir Ali Raza Jamali as deputy. Both candidates belonged to the PML-N.

In Dera Allayar’s Muncipal Committee, PML-N candidate Shahnawaz Umran was elected chairman and Mohammed Ayub Kohsa as vice chairman. Municipal Committee Usta Mohammed elected Mir Amir Khan Jamali of PML-N as chairman and PPP’s Niaz Ahmed Umrani as deputy.

Son of former caretaker premier Hazar Khan Khosa, Mir Amjid Hussain Khosa was elected as chairman of Sohbat District Council by securing 22 votes. Representing PML-N, he defeated the ruling NP candidate.

Nasirabad District Council elected PML-N’s Sardar Changez Khan Sasoli as chairman and Sardarzada Khairbaksh Umrani as deputy.

The elections for the chairman and deputy chairman of Municipal Committee Dera Murad Jamali were postponed due to the lack of quorum.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2015.