LARKANA, Aug 26: The People’s Party Parliamentarians in Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts suffered a setback as its candidates were outclassed by Muslim League-backed candidates in the local body elections on August 25.

It is the first time the party has been defeated in its ‘bastion’.

According to unofficial results, the Khushhal Pakistan Panel won all the 17 union councils in Bakrani and Dokri talukas.

The KPP obtained 19 seats, of 44 union councils, in the district and the PPP-backed candidates secured only 14 seats.

Four candidates of the Sindh National Front won in Ratodero taluka while four nazims of the Sarwan Ittehad had returned successful in polls.

One seat was grabbed by the JUI and two by the independents in Larkana City.

In Qambar-Shahdadkot district, of 40 seats, the Khushhal Pakistan Panel won 22 seats while only 15 seats were secured by the Awam Dost Panel.

The JUI, Watan Nawaz Panel and the MQM had secured one seat each in Shahdadkot, Warah and Mirokhan talukas, respectively.

Suhail Anwar Siyal, candidate of the ADP who lost election from union council Mahar-wada alleged he had been defeated through engineered polls.

In a press statement here on Friday, he alleged Sindh minister Haji Atlaf Unnar for illegally stamping ballot papers and his (Siyal’s) polling agents were expelled from different polling stations.

Meanwhile, describing the second phase of the local body elections as ‘massively rigged’, the People’s Party Parliamentarian has called for fresh polls in the district.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Nisar Khuhro said 17 positions of nazims and naib nazims in Dokri and Bakrani talukas had been won by the government-backed Khushhal Pakistan Panel.

Members of the National Assembly Shahid Bhutto, Khalid Memon, Ramesh Lal, Anwar Bhutto, MPA Ayaz Soomro and Ex-District Nazim Khursheed Junejo were present on the occasion.

Mr Khuhro alleged that Sindh minister Haji Altaf Unnar had registered fake FIRs against PPP-backed Awan Dost Panel candidates and used police to secure election results.

He accused the Pakistan Muslim League’s Syed Pir Shah for robbing ballot papers from union council-2.

The PPP leader said election results were delayed at the union council-11 where 200 workers of Badar Abbasi stormed the polling station.

Bogus identity cards were used in large number by workers of Nawab Shabbir Chandio to stuff ballot boxes with fake votes in Gaibidero, he said.

PPP leaders said agents of the ADP candidates were kidnapped by the government to harass them.

On the other hand, the election commission left hundreds of rigging complaints unattended and termed them wrong, they said.

They said three people were killed in the Akil village during the LB polls.

They said the PPP would soon issue a white paper, telling the people of Pakistan details of mass rigging in the elections.