SIALKOT: In Sialkot city, the PML-N remained unbeatable as it won 19 seats out of 24 union councils (UCs) of the Municipal Corporation Sialkot in Saturday’s LB polls where the PTI could get only three seats despite the visit of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan.

The results of these LB polls revealed that the Sialkot city remains a stronghold of PML-N. However, the independent candidates mostly won the seats of general councillors in urban union councils of Sialkot city besides winning the maximum seats in Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur cities. They gave a tough time to both the PML-N and PTI. Most of these winning independent candidates are those who were denied the tickets by the PML-N and PTI and they contested the local government polls against the candidates of both the parties.

In Daska city, the independent candidates dented the PML as they won 16 out of 30 seats of general councillors of the Municipal Committee Daska while the PML-N could win 14 seats. The PTI could not win even a single seat.

In Sambrial, the independent candidates remained on top position by winning nine out of 26 wards of the Municipal Committee Sambrial where the PML-N could win six seats and PTI got four.

Independents win most of general councillor seats

In Pasrur city, the independent candidates won 18 seats out of total 26 wards of Municipal Committee Pasrur where the PML-N could win only eight seats. The PTI could not win even a single seat in Pasrur.

In Narowal city, independent candidates grabbed 13 seats of general councillors, PML-N won 11 seats and PTI could get only a single seat out of total 25 seats of the municipal committee.

In Shakargarh, PML-N got nine seats and PTI and independents clinched five seats of general councillors each in 19 wards of municipal committee Shakargarh.

KHAWAJA ASIF: Federal Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Asif says the results of all the three phases of the LG polls in Punjab show that the masses have trust in the PML-N leadership and they rejected the negative politics of conflict by the political opponents.

Addressing the party workers PML-N House Sialkot, he said the PML-N was the country’s biggest and the most popular political party of the country. He said the next mayor of Municipal Corporation Sialkot would be from the PML-N and the party would start a new era of prosperity and development with the LG institutions.

Mr Asif said the local polls in Punjab were the trailer of the 2018 general elections, saying that the PML-N was in very strong position to win the 2018 elections as well. He said the polls had also increased the popularity of the PML-N and asked the political rivals to give up the tradition of the politics of conflict and be united by shunning their political differences in the larger interest of the nation.

The minister said the local bodies would strengthen democracy, democratic norms and values as they were the nursery of the democracy. He said the government was ensuring smooth transition of power to the local level with the completion of three phases of LG polls. MPAs Chaudhry Ikram, Manshaullah Butt and Arshad Javaid Warraich were also present.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2015