ABBOTTABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-N regained its position in the district by getting 20 seats in the Saturday’s local body polls followed by 18 seats of the ruling PTI.

Jamaat-i-Islami, which is the coalition partner of PTI, could manage only one seat, while seven seats went to independents.

Unofficial results of 46 union councils have been declared, while results of five union councils are pending for different reasons.

In Sarbanha union council, FIR was registered against two rival groups who had set on fire the ballot papers and had stolen ballot boxes.

Among the elected candidates, Shamoon Yar, who is son of KP Governor Sardar Mahtab Khan, and Ali Khan Jadoon, son of former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon, found berths in the district council.

The two are considered to be contenders for the slot of the chairman.

Among other probable candidates for the district council chairman are Waqar Nabi of PTI and independent Sardar Sher Bahadar, who was president PTI Abbottabad district but was denied the poll ticket.

He contested the election from Kehal union conical as independent candidate against the brother-in-law of provincial minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani.

Credit for the PML-N’s good showing in the local body polls goes to former party MPA Innayatullah Khan Jadoon, who awarded tickets on ‘merit’.

It is to mention here that in the recent cantonment elections in the district, out of five seats, PML-N had won just one.

On the other hand, PTI should blame itself for losing some of important seats in Abbottabad due to internal clashes.

It is being anticipated that independent candidates would play important role in deciding top slot of Abbottabad nazim.

In this regard, Sher Bahadar will be in driving seat if PTI doesn’t take any disciplinary action against him.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2015

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