February 19, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 11, 1429

QUETTA, Feb 18: Pakistan Muslim League-Q and its ally Balochistan National Party (Awami-group) won 10 seats of the Balochistan Assembly and unofficial results showed that people of Quetta and Nasirabad districts had given mandate in favour of Pakistan People’s Party as it secured six seats of 51 general seats.

According to unofficial results of 28 constituencies, PPP won in four constituencies of Quetta out of its 6 seats. PPP won two seats from Nasirabad district defeating strong candidates of PML-Q. Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani of the PPP was leading in PB-38 Mastung.

Six independent candidates also returned while MMA could win three seats. Awami National Party bagged three provincial seats for the first time in Balochistan apparently because of boycott by the APDM.

Former Chief Minister

Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf, Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Shaikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhel, Mir Shoaib Nusherwani, Mir Amanullah of PML-Q retained their seats but former PML-Q ministers Mir Abdul Ghafoor Lehri, Mir Abdul Rehman Jamali Abdul Qadous Bizenjo lost contest.

Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, Sardar Mohammad Aslam Bizenjo, Sardarzada Bakhatir Khan Domki, Shafiq Ahmed Khan Syed Ehsan Shah, Asadullah Baloch, Sadiq Umrani, Babo Mohammad Amain Umrani, Agha Irfan Karim and Sardarzada Mir Rustom Jamali, former MMA ministers Abdul Bari Agha, Syed Matiullah Agha won their seats.

Former governor Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch was defeated from his home district of Kharan while Agha Faisal Daud, a former MMA minister, also lost the election.