KARACHI: The Pakistan Peoples Party has won 1,419 of the 1,814 seats reserved for youth, labour/peasants, women and non-Muslims in the local bodies elections in Sindh, while Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional bagged 139 and 108 seats, respectively.

Fifty seats still remain vacant in different categories on technical grounds.

Among other parties, PML-N got 59 seats, PPP-W won 15 seats and PTI got 11 seats. Similarly, PML-Q, SUP and JUI bagged six, four and two seats, respectively.

The Jamaat-i-Islami got only one reserved seat in the local government elections held for 24 district councils, three municipal corporations and six district municipal corporations, 36 municipal committees and 148 town committees.

According to sources close to the Election Commission, the overall party position in Sindh indicated that the 1,419 seats won by the PPP included 778 seats for women, 215 for non-Muslim communities, 212 for youth and 214 for labour/ peasants. Of the 139 seats bagged by the MQM, 94 seats were reserved for women and 15 each in the three other categories. Similarly, the 108 seats won by the PML-F included 67 seats reserved for women, 15 for labour/ peasants and 13 each for youth and non-Muslim communities.

KMC

In Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, however, the MQM won 67 of the total 99 seats reserved in four different categories. The PPP bagged 13 seats, while PML-N, PTI and JI got nine, six and two seats, respectively. The JUI-F and the ANP won one seat each in the local government elections in the KMC.

The 67 seats in the KMC bagged by the MQM included 46 women seats and seven seats in each of the categories of non-Muslim, labour/peasant and youth. PPP’s scoreboard of 13 seats in the KMC indicated 10 seats of women and one in each of the other three categories, while the PML-N got six women seats besides one labour/peasant and non-Muslim seat each.

The PTI secured three women seats besides one youth and one labour/peasant seat. The party is yet to nominate its candidate in the category of non-Muslims. The Jamaat-i-Islami has two women seats, while the JUI-F has only one seat for women. The ANP has yet to fill its only seat reserved for woman in KMC.

District councils

In 24 district councils of the province, the PPP secured 326 seats reserved for women, 52 for youth, 51 for labour/peasant and 51 for non-Muslims. No seat in any of the 24 district councils was won by the MQM. The PML-F, however, bagged 28 seats reserved for women and three each in the other categories.

The PML-N got 14 seats reserved for women, one for youth and two seats each in the categories of labour/peasant and non-Muslim communities. The PML-Q got one woman seat. PTI bagged four seats reserved for women besides one seat each in the three other categories. The PPP-W won nine seats for women and one seat each in the other categories.

Municipal, district municipal corporations

In the elections for three municipal corporations and six district municipal corporations, the PPP won 47 seats including 29 seats reserved for women and six seats in each of the three categories, the MQM bagged 100 seats including 64 seats reserved for women and 12 seats in each of the other categories. The PML-F won two women seats. The PML-N won six seats including three seats reserved for women. PPP-W won two women seats and PTI secured three women seats.

Municipal committees

In the elections for the 36 municipal committees in the province, the PPP won 244 seats including 152 seats reserved for women, 30 for youths, and 31 each in the labour/peasant and non-Muslims categories. The MQM secured 35 seats including 26 seats reserved for women and three each in the other categories. The PML-F won 19 seats including 10 seats for women and three each in the other categories. The PML-N bagged eight seats including five seats reserved for women and one each in the other categories. The PTI and JI secured one seat each reserved for women.

Town committees

In the 148 town committees, the PPP won 648 seats including 271 seats reserved for women, 124 for youths, 126 for labour/peasant and 127 non-Muslim communities. The MQM won four seats reserved for women. The PML-F bagged 50 seats including 27 seats reserved for women, nine for labour/peasants and seven each in the other categories. The PML-N won 26 seats including 14 seats reserved for women and four each in other categories. The PPP-W secured one women seat. The PTI and JI could not win a single seat in any of the 148 town committees. The PML-Q bagged five seats including two seats reserved for women. The SUP secured one reserved seat in each of the four categories, while the JUI bagged one seat in each of the women and non-Muslim categories.

Vacant seats

Fifty reserved seats still remain vacant in different categories on technical grounds. Most of these seats are in the town committees of different districts. The reasons vary from rejection of nomination papers to failure to join political party by independent candidates.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2016