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| August 27, 2005 | Saturday | Rajab 21, 1426 |
Leaguers dominate Balochistan: Nationalists retain Makran districts
QUETTA, Aug 26: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League and its allies have won most of the union councils in the second phase of the local body elections held on Thursday in 12 districts of Balochistan, according to unofficial results.
The PML and its allies have swept the polls in at least four districts — Lasbela, Washuk, Jhal Magsi and Chaghi.
The panels backed by Baloch nationalist parties, including the Balochistan National Party (Mengal) and the National Party, have claimed securing majority in Kech, Panjgur and Kalat districts and the BNP (Awami) in Turbat district. The nationalists, therefore, have retained their dominance in the Makran region.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) is on the top in Zhob district, claiming success in 23 of the 28 union councils.
In Quetta, different groups, including those backed by the PML, Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and the JUI-F, and independents have claimed to be in majority.
“In 25 out of 67 union councils, PML-backed panels have won the elections,” provincial minister Mir Abdul Rehman Jamali said on Friday, adding that most of the winning independents were also supported by the ruling party.
He said that the PML would form city and town governments in Quetta and other districts of Balochistan.
However, PMAP-backed Watan Dost panel and the BNP-M claimed having won 20 union councils, including five in Quetta.
The JUI-F, a component of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, which had contested the elections without the support of the Jammat-i-Islami in Quetta and other districts, claimed success in 14 union councils of Quetta district.
According to PML sources, in Lasbela district the Jam-Bhootani panel of the PML swept 21 of the 22 union councils that include two union councils of Dhureji tehsil where all the candidates had been elected unopposed.
Dhureji is the area where candidates are always elected unopposed since the Basic Democracies’ elections of Gen Ayub Khan.
The National Party could win only in Allahbad union council in Hub.
Chaghi is another district where PML-backed tribal elders’ panel swept the election and left no room for nationalist forces.
The newly-created Washuk district emerged as a stronghold of Al-Fateh panel of the PML, winning seven out of 10 union councils.
In Jhal Magsi district, elections was held in only two of the nine union councils and won by the PML-backed Magsi panel.
The candidates in seven others union councils had been elected unopposed.
In Kech district, provincial minister Asghar Rind claimed that BNP-A-backed Awami panel captured 22 out of 38 union councils but the BNP-M and the National Party rejected the claim and said that Yakjehti panel, backed by nationalist parties, had won in most of the union councils.
Reports said that the PML could win only in one union council in Kech district.
In Panjgur, most of the union councils were won by panels backed by the National Party and the BNP-A.
In Kalat, the Kalat Awami Ittehad, backed by the National Party, the BNP-A and PML, won most of the seats.
In Zhob district the JUI-F claimed 23 of the 28 union councils with the remaining five going to the PMAP, PML-Q and others.
The results of Loralai district were not received till Friday evening. However, all the political parties — including the JUI-F, PMAP, ANP and PML, were claming having won a majority in the district.
Reports suggest that in Musakhel district, the PMAP won in four union councils and the PML in three. The results of three union councils were not received.
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