ISLAMABAD: The PML-N on Saturday clinched two-third of the reserved seats in Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).

According to unofficial results, the PML-N won 18 out of the total 27 seats reserved for women, workers, peasants, youth, non-Muslims and technocrats.

The remaining nine seats (one third) were bagged by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI).

The PML-N won 11 of the total 17 seats reserved for women while the PTI bagged six seats allocated for women. The winners from the PML-N are: Humera Hussain, Chanda Bibi, Dr Sumbla Irshad, Rashida Sohail, Riffat Azeem, Saira Parveen Khan, Shabana Bibi, Farzana Kausar, Nadia Arshad, Nasira Naseer and Nargis Nasir. Those who won the reserved seats from the PTI are: Irum Pervez, Riffat Naz, Abida Raja, Arooj Shahid, Muneeza Javed Mirza and Naveeda Adil.

Ruling party wins 18 of the total 27 seats and remaining nine go to PTI

Sheikh Ansar Aziz of the PML-N won the only seat reserved for technocrats beating his rival Nadir Zeb with a clear margin. Ansar Aziz, who is the prospective candidate of the PML-N for the top office of mayor metropolitan corporation, polled 31 votes while the runner-up, Nadir Zeb of the PTI, could secure 19 votes. An independent candidate was also in the run but could not get even a single vote.

The PML-N won two of the three seats reserved for the youth while one seat was taken by the PTI. The ruling party’s Syed Nadir Ali Shah and Haroon Rana got 16 and 15 votes to emerge victorious in the category. Mubashir Latif Abbasi of the PTI, however, secured 18 votes to win one reserved seat for the youth.

PML-N’s Chaudhry Riffat Javed and M. Sajid Abbasi and PTI’s Farzand Hussain Shah won the three seats reserved for peasants and workers. Farzand Hussain bagged 18 votes while Riffat Javed and Sajid Abbasi secured 17 and 14 votes, respectively.

The PML-N also won two of the three seats reserved for non-Muslims while one seat in the category was clinched by PTI. Malik Imran Naz of the PTI got 18 votes to secure the seat while PML-N’s Rehmat Masih and Sharoon Masih bagged 17 and 14 votes, respectively.

As many as 50 chairmen of the union councils voted to elect 27 members on the reserved seats. This process will be followed by the crucial election of the mayor and three deputy mayors of the metropolitan corporation for which a schedule is most likely to be announced next week.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2016