RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is in a position to have its chairman and vice chairman in the District Council after winning 64 union council seats out of 139.

According to unofficial results, the PML-N has secured 46 union councils and there are 27 UCs where independents have succeeded. Only two seats have gone to the PTI.

PPP southern Punjab President Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, who had already announced his son Makhdoom Ali Mahmood as candidate for the slot of district council chairman, will form its body with the support of independent candidates. Only in nine union councils of Rahim Yar Khan tehsil, independent candidates of three political figures’ alliance (Javed Iqbal Warraich, former PPP MNA, Chaudhary Shafiq Chanab, former chairman market committee, and Zafar Iqbal Warraich, former interior state minister) have succeeded in the native union councils of PML-N MNA Mian Imtiaz Ahmed, MPA Mehmoodul Hassan Cheema and MPA Umar Jaffar.

The PML-N has won in 29 wards of Municipal Committee out of 50 wards, whereas independent candidates have succeeded in 15 wards, the PTI has won in four wards and the PPP in just two.

The PML-N was divided into two groups -- MNA Mian Imtiaz group and Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal Gujjar group -- and a majority of ticket-holders of the former group including some independent candidates having its backing have won seats. The other group could not win a single seat of councillor in the city and, interestingly, PML-N district president, supported by Jaffar group, has been defeated by PTI’s Imran Ashraf who got the support of the rival PML-N faction.

The PML-N will form its house in Rahim Yar Khan Municipal Committee. In Liaquatpur, independent candidates have got 14 wards out of 20 while the PML-N could win only six seats. In Khanpur, independents bagged 33 ward seats. In Sadiqabad, the PML-N has got 27 wards out of 44.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2015