PML-N, PPP emerge as leading parties in second phase of LB polls
Polling for second phase of local government elections was held in Punjab and Sindh on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have once again emerged as leading parties in the second phase of the Local Government elections in twelve districts of Punjab and Sindh’s fourteen districts.
This time, polling was held in Punjab’s Sargodha, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Attock, Jhelum, Mianwali, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sheikhupura and Khanewal districts and Sindh’s Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Matiari, Dadu, Jamshoro, Badin, Thatta, Sajawal, Shaheed Benazirabad, Nausharo Feroz, Mirpur Khas, Umerkot and Tharparkar.
Polling in Sanghar district was postponed due to security reasons.
According to unofficial results, the PML-N has won 1,059 seats, independent candidates 917, PPP 15, Tehreek-e-Insaf 321, Jamaat-e-Islami 9, and others 35 in Punjab.
In Sindh, the PPP has secured 1,448, independent candidates 176, MQM 117, PML-N 111, Muslim League Functional 43, PTI 8 and other parties won 40 seats.
Surprisingly, former PPP leader Zulfiqar Mirza’s group snatched power from its rival PPP as it managed a clean sweep from Badin, winning all 14 seats of Badin’s City Municipal Committee.
All remaining candidates including some influential ones such as PPP district president and general secretary faced a significant defeat as Mirza attained a clean sweep from Badin.
LAW AND ORDER SITUATION
Although serious violence was not reported in the second phase of local government elections in Sindh and Punjab on Thursday, amid good voter turnout, women faced difficulties in a number of places in asserting their right to franchise, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said in statement.
HRCP - which observed the local bodies elections in selected districts in both provinces - said : “In one union council in Sargodha district and one in Toba Tek Singh districts, women voters were barred from voting, apparently following agreements among the candidates. Despite a jirga decision in Mianwali, women there were able to exercise their right to franchise, though in small numbers, after civil society activists drew attention of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) towards this bid to keep women from voting."
Polling was generally peaceful and no fatality was reported in poll-related violence until the voting time ended. However, several clashes between supporters of rival candidates and political parties, use of firearms and some instances of violence against policemen by candidates’ supporters were reported.
Theft of unused ballot papers and misprinting of election symbols on ballot papers in a few constituencies in Sindh led to postponement of polling.
Administrative arrangements, particularly for maintaining law and order, seemed to have improved somewhat compared to the first phase of elections in Sindh and Punjab, held on October 31.
Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza has commended the role of Army, Rangers and election staff in successful and peaceful holding of local government elections.
He has also appreciated the police and voters for maintaining peace at the polling stations.
Local bodies, in which voters elect councillors directly, devolve administrative and financial powers to lower tiers of electoral bodies.
The elections were last held in 2005 under General Pervez Musharraf, who came to power in a bloodless coup.
In March this year, the Supreme Court had called the absence of the local government system for over a decade unconstitutional and ordered the election commission to arrange for polls to be held as soon as possible.
