PESHAWAR - Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf took the lead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local bodies' elections by securing 255 seats, followed by independents who pocketed 133 slots. PTI’s key rival Awami National Party (ANP) secured third position with 101 seats of district and tehsil councillors, as per the unofficial results.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), another main player, was on fourth position with 94 seats, while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), a partner in PTI-led government, was on fifth position with 80 seats. Pakistan Peoples Party with its 37 seats stood sixth while Qaumi Watan Party and Awami Jamhoori Iittehad were on seventh and eight positions till filing of this report.
The ANP clinched first position in districts of Buner, Swabi, Mardan and Charsadda. In Buner ANP got eight seats against PTI’s seven while in Swabi the opposition party secured 23 seats against PTI’s just six seats. In Mardan also ANP emerged victorious by securing 17 seats out of 32. In Charsadda, ANP led polls by getting 14 seats while PTI got 11 seats.
In Upper Dir district, JI led the polls by getting 21 seats; independents secured four seats and PTI two seats. In Lower Dir district, JI secured 23 seats, ANP five, PTI four and PPP three seats. In Malakand district ANP secured eight seats, PPP eight seats, PTI seven and JUI-F got two seats while independents took five seats there.
In 67 union councils of Swat district Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got 22 seats, PTI was on second place with 21 seats, ANP secured nine seats, independent 11, JUI-F two, while PPP and JI got one seat each. In Mansehra district, independents won 17 out of 20 seats while JUI-F secured two seats. In Shangla, PML-N was on the top with 13 seats, ANP secured five seats and PTI only three seats.
In Torghar district neck to neck contest was expected where ANP and PTI both got three seats; however, counting for 10 other seats was still continuing. In Hango, JUI-F got six seats, ANP two, PTI two and independents four seats. In Tank district PTI secured six seats, JUI-F five and PPP one seat.
Results in some districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so far were incomplete due to allegations of rigging by rival candidates against each other while clashes and aerial firing at some polling stations added to the chaos and confusion. PTI chief Imran Khan has asked Election Commission of Pakistan to make a powerful election tribunal to deal with the ragging allegations.