HARIPUR/KARAK: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has bagged majority seats in Haripur and Karak districts in the local government elections, held on Saturday.

In Haripur, PTI won majority seats in tehsil and local (village) council elections across the district. However, it failed to perform well in urban areas (neighbourhood councils).

In all the three city union councils, PTI could not bag any seat of district and tehsil councils. Instead, it performed better in rural belt of the district. Some of the independent candidates, who had the blessings of PPP or PML-N, defeated the PTI candidates.

In Dingi union council, Sardar Mumtaz won the district council seat by defeating Masoodur Rehman of PTI. In Ali Khan union council, Taimur Haider Shah gave a stunning defeat to PTI’s Mohammad Iqbal. In Sara-i-Nemat Khan, Malik Mohammad Younus bagged the seat despite a criminal case instituted against him on the polling day.

The ruling party can form local governments in the two districts

In Rehana union council, an independent Chatan (Rock) group bagged the district and tehsil council seats. Chaudhry Dad Mohammad and Rafique Khan brought a crushing defeat to Riaz Khan group, which enjoyed the backing of PTI and PML-N.

Before the polls, PTI had poured millions of rupees funds for construction of roads, water schemes and installation of transformers in the district. But, even, this bait could not attract the support of the voters.

PTI’s main pillar, Yousuf Ayub Khan, himself had been active more than his party candidates in the city limits, but PTI could not make inroads into the urban pockets.

PTI nominees for district slots Agha Shabbir Awan (Sikandarpur), Atif Munsif (Shah Maqsood), who had spent a week in the prison for his alleged involvement in a six-murder case, had bagged his district seat.

Najaf Ali Shah also won from Manik Roy union council. Raja Nasir Kiani has defeated his rival candidate with a margin of 3,000 votes, which is unbelievable phenomenon in the local council elections.

Raja Zulfiqar and Abdul Ghani Chaudhary bagged their seats from Khanpur and Barel union councils. Sardar Haroon, Ataur Rehman and Prof Imran also won from Kot Najibullah, Dhendah and Panian union councils. Panian is the maternal village of Reham Khan, the wife of PTI chief Imran Khan.

In tehsil councils, majority of independent candidates, who have developed some differences with the PTI activists, are mulling over to field one of their colleagues for the slot of tehsil municipal administration, Haripur.

The defeat of Kamal Gaznavi, a former PTI district president, has sent a wave of shock amongst the PTI workers. Syed Aleem Pasha, an independent candidate, who emerged from nowhere has won the seat. It is believed that ultimately, he will side with the PTI’s arrangement in the district.

Overall the elections held in a peaceful manners. No big incident, except some thrashing of PTI workers in the Ali Khan union council, was reported. The political circles, however, expressed their astonishment over the turnout in the Saturday’s elections.

It was like a puzzle for the newcomers that how to cast seven different ballet papers. The ballet paper for general councillors was a great puzzle, which carried the symbols of intending candidates, not the names.

In Karak, PTI emerged as a big political force by securing six seats in the local government polls followed by JUI-F with four seats.

According to unofficial results, ANP won only one seat of district council and Chountra Ittehad (CI), a local organisation, managed to grab two seats, while nine seats were won by independent candidates.

In Karak tehsil, Isak Choutran union council seat was won by CI candidate Abdus Sadiq Khattak while its president Umer Khan won the seat in Ghundi Mir Khankhel union council.

In Palso Sar and Sabirabad union councils the seats were won by independent candidates Hayatullah and Umer Daraz Khattak respectively. In Mithakhel, PTI candidate Azmat Ali Khattak won the seat by defeating Malik Rehman of PML-N. In Jandri union council, an independent candidate Jan Alam defeated Sahib Kamal of JUI-F.

In Karak North union council, ANP candidate Abdutawab Khattak won the seat by defeating PTI candidate Abdul Qadir while in the South union council JUI-F candidate Maulana Mirzaqeem defeated an independent candidate Shabbir Khan.

In Latamber, the district council seat was won by JUI-F candidate Maulana Naveed, who defeated an independent candidate Usman Ghani.

In Jatta Ismael Khel union council of Banda Daud Shah tehsil, the seat was won by JUI-F candidate Hazrat Ali who, defeated PTI candidate and former MNA Shamsur Rehman.

In Teri union council, an independent candidate Intikhab Khan bagged the seat by defeating JUI-F candidate Hafiz Faizullah while in Bahaderkhel union council PTI candidate Inayatullah won the seat by defeating an independent candidate Umer Khan.

In Nari Panos, the district council seat was clinched by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party candidate Rafi Khattak by defeating PTI candidate Fahimullah.

In Gurguri, the district council seat was won by JUI-F candidate Hafiz Daud by defeating independent candidate Taj Malook while in Chokra Ahmadabad the seat was by won by PML-N candidate Mosa Raza Khattak, defeated PTI candidate retired Major Sajjad.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2015

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