PESHAWAR – The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Monday emerged as the leading political party in local bodies’ elections held in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, in what appeared to be a major upset for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
JUI-F candidate for Zubair Ali, a close relative of party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, won the seat for the post of Peshawar mayor in the first phase of the local government elections in Khyber Pakhtun¬khwa. He got 62,388 votes while Mohammad Rizwan Khan of the PTI secured 50,659 votes.
The unofficial results also show that the opposition parties have a combined lead over the ruling PTI for the post of mayor/chairman of the 63 tehsil councils.
According to unofficial results, out of 64 tehsil seats, JUI-F remained successful from 19 seats, PTI on 15, ANP on eight, Jamaat-e-Islami and PML-N on three each respectively. JUI-F candidate, Zubair Ali had substantial lead from PTI’s Rizwan Bangash on Peshawar’s mayor seat.
According to a press release issued by the office of Deputy Commissioner/District Returning Officer (DRO) on Monday, Sher Rehman of ANP secured 49596 votes, Arbab Zarak Khan of PPP, 45958 while Bahrullah of JI has obtained 18367 votes respectively. “The report of the incomplete result is being dispatched to the Election Commission. Further suitable proceedings will be initiated after the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan,” officials said.
In Haripur, PML-N candidates won two seats of Tehsil chairmanship including Khanpur and Ghazi while independent candidates clinched Tehsil Haripur chairmanship.
According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, 10 candidates contested the local body elections for the Tehsil Haripur chairmanship slot where independent candidate Sami Ullah Khan took the lead with 89461 votes from 399 polling stations after a close contest with PTI candidate Akhtar Nawaz Khan who got 76684 votes.
PML-N candidate Sardar Haroon got only 29282 votes, Saleh Mohammad of Jamaat-e-Islami secured 5757 votes, Umar Naseer Khan of JUI-F got 8774 votes, independent candidate Ahsan Shah got 4256 votes, Imran Khan of Tehreek-e-Labeek (TLP) got 13652 votes and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) candidate Dr Faiza BB Rashid got 2039 votes.
In Tehsil Haripur, the total number of registered voters was 487038 where 247911 votes were polled. In Tehsil Khanpur of Haripur, Raja Haroon Sikandar of PML-N has been elected as the first Chairman of Khanpur with 32361 votes. However, there was a close contest between PML-N ticket contender Raja Haroon Sikandar and PTI candidate Raja Shehab Sikandar after which Raja Haroon Sikandar of PML-N won by securing 32361 votes. Shehab Sikandar remained in the second position with 26296 votes.
Both the candidates belong to the same family and are grandsons of former caretaker Chief Minister Raja Sikandar Zaman.
PML-N candidate Syed Qasim Shah has won Tehsil Ghazi chairmanship by securing 16583 votes in. According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, ten candidates in Ghazi Tehsil of Haripur have contested, PTI candidate Naveed Iqbal came third with 10,319 votes.
The newly elected chairman Ghazi Syed Qasim Shah is the son of former KP chief minister Peer Sabir Shah.
Similarly, out of six tehsil seats in Buner district, PTI won four tehsils and outclassed rival candidates in tehsils Chagarzai and Adezai.
PTI’s Sharif Khan clinched victory at tehsil Chagarzai in Buner by securing 8,055 votes while independent candidate, Muhammad Iqbal Khan stood runner up with 4,888 votes followed by Muhammad Zaib of Jamaat-e-Islami with 3,959 votes and Noor Rehman of JUIF’s 2267 votes. The percentage of polled votes remained 37.16 percent at tehsil Chagarzai.
At tehsil Adezai in Buner district, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Sher Alam has achieved landslide victory by defeating five candidates including ANP, JUI-F, Jamaat-e-Islami and independent candidates.
Sher Alam had secured 11, 505 votes while ANP’s Shah Jehan stood runner up with 7,897 votes and JUI-F’s Saeedur Rehman grabbed third position with 7,364 votes and Alam Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami with 7,248 votes secured fourth position respectively. The voters turned out remained 37.22 percent at Adezai tehsil.
JUI(F) gained ground in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where its candidate Sher Zaman Khan clinched victory at Kohat tehsil Council’s chairman seat after securing 34,434 votes followed by independent candidate, Sharifullah Khan with 25,793 votes and PTI’s Sher Alam Shinwari 15,219 votes.
Kohat’s tehsil Lachi seat was clinched by independent candidate, Muhammad Ehsan with 8,704 votes while PTI Salim Qureshi stood runner up with 7,907 votes and JUI-F’s Fawad Khan with 7137 votes who was declared third in the said council where voters turned out remained 38.30 percent.
In tehsil council Tank, JUI-F’s Sadam Husain secured victory after obtaining 36,415 votes while PTI stood runner up with 28,409 votes and ANP’s Arsad Mansoor Shah clinched third position with 8902 votes. The voters turned out remained 45.27percent in Tank tehsil.
At Jandola tehsil in South Waziristan tribal district where local bodies elections was held for first time in the country’s history, was clinched by JUIF’s Bahadar Khan by securing 2,310 votes while independent candidate Muhammad Aslam Khan stood runner up with 2,203 votes and PTI’s Said Badshah stood third with 2062 votes where 35.43 percent votes were polled.
DI Khan’s tehsil Paharpur seat has been clinched by PPP’s Makhdoom Altaf Hussain Shah who secured 37,302 votes while PTI’s Kamran Zeeshan Khan stood runner up with 25,488 votes and independent candidate Jahanzaib Khan with 24,730 stand as third. Similarly, Darban tehsil chairman seat in DI Khan was clinched by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ehsanullah Khan with 16,420 votes while PTI’s Babar Badshah stood second with 9486 votes.
In tehsil council Shabqadar Charsadda district, JUI-F candidate, Hamza Asif Khan clinched victory after securing 33,244 votes while PTI’s Shahid Khan stood runner up with 14,616 votes and Qumi Watan Party’s Shahidullah Khan as third with 2,444 votes respectively. The percentage of polled votes was recorded as 32.5percent at Kohat tehsil council.
JUI-F candidate secured victory at tehsil council in Charsadda district where Abdul Rauf Khan has outclassed rival candidates after securing 78,212 votes while ANP’s Taimur Khattak stood runner with 45,722 votes and Ashfaq Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami with 11439 votes grabbed third position.
Tehsil council Topi in Swabi district election was also won by JUI-F candidate Muhammad Rehim who secured 25,110 votes vote while PTI’s Muhammad Sohail stood runner up with 17,277 votes and PML-N’s Amir Saeed stand third with11,645 votes. The voters’ turnout was 38.88percent at tehsil council Topi.
Tehsil Razar seat in Swabi was clinched by ANP’s Ghulam Haqqani with 52,271 votes, defeating PTI’s Buland Iqbal (35,243 votes) and JUI-F’s Momin Shah (20,190) where voters turned out remained 35.32 percent.
PML-N has also gained ground in Haripur district where its candidate, Muhammad Qasim Shah secured victory after obtaining 16,583 votes and independent candidate, Khayam Islam stood runner up with 14,276 votes while PTI’s candidate Naveed Iqbal clinched third position with 10,339 votes at tehsil council Ghazai. The voters turned out remained 46.5 percent at tehsil council Ghazai Haripur district.
Similarly, PML-N’s Raja Haroon Sikandar won Khanpur tehsil seat in Haripur district after securing 33,762 votes while PTI’s Raja Shahab Sikandar stood second with 30,207 votes respectively. The voters’ turnout in Khanpur remained 59.08percent.
PML-N candidate Adil Khan secured victory at Lahore’s tehsil council in Swabi district with 22,036 votes while JUI-F’s Shahab Muhammad stood second with 14,820 votes with voters turned out remained 40 percent.
The results from across these 17 districts are coming and position of all political parties and independent candidates would be cleared in couple of days in the province.