August 21, 2005	Sunday	Rajab 15, 1426

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PESHAWAR, Aug 20: The Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) on Saturday claimed that 80 per cent of its candidates had emerged victorious in the Aug 18 phase of local body elections.

This result is “a clear indication of the party’s popularity among the masses at the grassroot level,” it said.

At the same time, the party dismissed as premature claims by “narrow-minded groups” that they had won the majority of seats in the province.

A press statement issued by the PPP-S said that the political grouping had contested polls from the platform of Taraqi Pasand group and had received 12 seats in Nowshera, six in Mardan, 16 in Charsadda, seven in Swabi, 13 in Dera Ismail Khan, three in Peshawar, seven in Kohat, and one each in Haripur and Karak districts.

It said that the party had also backed individual candidates for the slots of nazim and naib nazim. PPP-S candidates also contested as a result of seat-to –seat adjustment with other parties.

It claimed said that party workers were harassed at polling stations and alleged that bogus voting had taken place in a majority of polling stations. Despite that, it said the PPP “could not be defeated through fake voting” because “it enjoyed popular support”.

“The local body elections have shown that people repose confidence in the leadership of Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao who is trying hard to serve the masses and solve their problems,” it added.

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