SIALKOT, Aug 26: Split in the ruling party helped opposition parties little in making an impact, as the PML’s divided groups have won a majority of nazim seats in 74 urban and rural union councils in Narowal, unofficial results say.

The ruling PML has won 62 UC nazims seats out of the 74, the PML-N six while five independent candidates have been elected nazims. The PML’s Khwaja Waseem group clinched all four urban UC nazim seats in Narowal city. Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed’s faction bagged two out of the three urban union council seats in Shakargarh city. Their rival NRB chairman Daniyal Aziz’s group could get only one seat.

However, the two main rival groups — Dr Tahir’s and Daniyal Aziz’s — were claiming that they had won more than 60 per cent of the seats each in Narowal and Shakargarh.

In Narowal district, the PML remained divided into four main groups — Daniyal Aziz’s group, ex-district nazim Javed Safdar Kahloon’s, Federal Health Minister Muhammad Naseer Khan’s and Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed’s outfit. All these groups fielded their own candidates in all UCs.

The groups were indulged in mudslinging during their campaigns on one pretext or the other.

Meanwhile, the PML-N and the PPP alleged that the government launched the PML candidates’ campaigns in Zafarwal, Shakargarh and Narowal.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, they demanded that re-polling should be ordered in Narowal district’s all 74 union councils. They accused the government of openly rigging the elections.

The ARD local chapter demanded re-election in Narowal and Shakargarh tehsils and urged the chief election commissioner to constitute a commission to probe rigging and firing charges against the ruling party.

CASES: The Shakargarh police have registered cases against scores of supporters of Dr Tahir Ali Javed and Daniyal Aziz’s groups for killing three people in Shakargarh.