MINGORA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the leading party in Swat district and tehsil councils after the Election Commission of Pakistan announced final results of local government elections here.

According to official results, of the 67 district and tehsil council seats, PTI won 24 in the district council and 25 in tehsil councils.

It was followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with 21 seats in the district council and nine in tehsil council.

Independent candidates grabbed 10 seats in the district council and five in tehsil councils.

Awami National Party secured only eight seats in the district council and 10 in tehsil council.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl won two seats in the district council and seven in tehsil council.

Jamaat-i-Islami could get only one seat in the district council and eight in tehsil council, while Pakistan People’s Party bagged one seat each in district and tehsil councils.

Overall, PTI, which has six provincial assembly and two National Assembly members from Swat district, failed to produce impressive results in the recent local government elections. It faced defeat even in its own strongholds.

After the elections, six major parties formed an alliance against PTI as part of efforts to form district and tehsil governments with Amir Muqam of PML-N in the driving seat.

The alliance comprises PML-N, ANP, PPP, Qaumi Watan Party, JUI-F and Jamaat-i-Islami.

Observers said both the alliance and PTI are making every effort to rope in independents to form governments.

INDEPENDENTS FORM ALLIANCE: Six of the 11 independents, who won the district council seats during the LG polls held on May 30, on Tuesday announced to form their own alliance in Swat.

Speaking at a news conference, they said they had formed their own alliance to decide their future course of action.

“Both groups, PTI and the six-party alliance, have contacted us to join them but we have not decided yet on the matter,” the independents said.

The independents said that as the voters had reposed confidence in them so they would take every move according to their wishes.

“We have decided to not only work for our own areas but for the entire Swat valley,” they vowed.

They said if they didn’t join any party, they would nominate their own candidates for the slots of district nazim and naib nazim.

They also appealed to the remaining five independent candidates in Swat district to join them to emerge a strong group.

Meanwhile, ANP, JUI-F and PPP announced to observe a shutter down strike today (Wednesday) in Swat against the alleged rigging in the LG polls.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2015

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