HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party returned victorious on six seats, followed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan with four wins, according to unofficial results received so far, in by-election for local bodies held in different parts of the province on Sunday.

The other major contestant, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, finished with dismal numbers in elections that went held in a smooth and peaceful manner throughout the day.

In Hyderabad, the polling remained lacklustre in three union committees (UCs) where MQM-P won one more and PPP retained its seat. Eleven polling stations were set up in UC-87 (Hali road), UC-21 (city) and UC-53 (Hussainabad) where personnel of Rangers and police were deployed in and outside the polling stations.

MQM-P’s Parvez Wasim won UC-21 seat with 1045 votes, beating PPP’s Adad Sahto who secured only 24 votes while independent candidate Imtiaz Alam finished runner-up with 431. The seat had fallen vacant after MQM-P’s Salahuddin resigned as chairman of UC-21 to contest general election.

PPP retained UC-53 seat in Hussainabad which had become vacant after the party leader Abbas Khan’s death this year. Abbas was brother PPP MPA Abdul Jabbar Khan. PPP’s Syed Sajjad Ali Shah won the seat with 1,267 votes, beating MQM-P’s Jehangir Kaka who received 687 votes out of 7,541 registered votes.

MQM-P got one more seat of ward’s general councillor in UC-87, which had fallen vacant after Ibrar Abbas, an independent candidate, resigned in protest against delay in development works in his ward.

BADIN: PPP’s Ali Ahmed Nizamani won the seat of chairman of Mir Ghulam Mohammad Khan Talpur union council by securing 2,916 votes while his opponent Qari Mohammad Moosa Zangejo of Mirza Group polled 770 votes.

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Syed Aakil Shah Bukhari of Mirza Group some five months ago. Tight security arrangements were made during the polling process because of simmering opposition between PPP and Mirza Group supporters.

In Matli town, PPP’s Mohammad Imran Kashmiri won councilor seat in Ward-7 by securing 1,173 votes. His rival Munir Ahmed Nizamani could get only 918 votes. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Ajmad Arain of PPP a year ago.

MIRPURKHAS: MQM-P won all three seats of councillor up for grabs which had fallen vacant after the death of one and resignations by two councillors.

In Ward-6, MQM-P Raeesuddin Chohan won by securing 446 votes while his rival PPP Ishtiaque Baig got 331 votes. In Ward-23, MQM-P Imran Qureshi won by 496. His rival candidate PPP’s Naeem obtained 291 votes and PTI’s Mohammad Iqbal polled 230 votes.

In Ward-39, MQM-P’s Junaid Qureshi obtained 685 votes and his rival PPP’s Javed Ahmed got 68 votes.

Jubilant MQM-P workers distributed sweets and took out rallies on motorcycles to celebrate the victory.

Six polling stations were set up where MQM-P, PTI and PPP had established camps to help their voters in casting votes. Personnel of police and Rangers were deployed in and around all polling stations to maintain law and order.

NAWABSHAH: PPP won two seats in UC Hassan Jamali and Gohram Marri. PPP’s Haalar Khan Jamali secured 2,937 votes to win the district council seat in UC Hassan Jamali while his opponents Abdul Jabbar Jamali, an independent candidate, secured 2,460 and Farzana Jamali of PTI got 94 votes.

The seat had fallen vacant after Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified PPP’s Abdul Fateh Jamali over institution of cases against him by National Accountability Bureau.

In Ward-3 PPP’s Niaz Hussain Marri won councillor’s seat in UC Gohram Marri by securing 615 votes while his rival Moosa Juno and Saifal Juno (both independent candidates) received 272 and 71 votes, respectively.

According to regional election commissioner Nadeem Haider, a total of four seats had fallen vacant in Shaheed Benazirabad district out of which two candidates had already won unopposed.

He said that seats of chairman and member district council UC Khair Shah were won by Allah Ditto Zardari and Aijaz Zardari of PPP unopposed.

MITHI: PPP’s Ghulam Nabi Loond won councillor’s seat in UC Kaloi town by securing 2,790 votes defeating independent candidate Allah Jurio Loond who was polled 2,350 votes. Allah Jurio was supported by disgruntled PPP leader Mohammad Khan Loond.

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of chairman of Arbab Group, Raees Fakir Mohammad Loond, a year ago.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2018