ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) retained the mayorship of the capital after winning the by-election on Monday.

Pir Adil Shah Gillani of the PML-N bagged 43 votes against PTI’s Malik Sajid Mahmood who bagged 26 votes.

The mayor-elect is the custodian of the shrine of Pir Imam Ali Gillani located in Rata Hotar near Bari Imam shrine. In the Nov 2015 local government elections, he was elected as chairman of the Bari Imam Union Council and member of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

Though the term of the new mayor will end in two months, the PML-N local leaders said their candidate’s victory was much needed to give a strong message to the ruling PTI ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)’s anti-government rally in Islamabad in February.

Pir Adil Shah Gillani bags 43 votes against PTI’s Malik Sajid Mahmood who could score 26 votes

The PML-N is a key member of the PDM, an alliance of 11 opposition political parties.

The mayor of Islamabad could play a major role in motivating party workers and mobilising citizens to boost the opposition’s campaign.

Deputy Mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi termed the victory a great achievement of the party, adding that the new mayor would play his role to motivate party workers for making the PDM long march a success. After Mr Gillani was elected the new mayor, a large number of PML-N workers celebrated the victory. They were joined by former PML-N MNAs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Anjum Aqeel and Malik Ibrar.

The PML-N has no MNA from the federal capital as all the three National Assembly seats were grabbed by the PTI in the 2018 general elections.

The election on the vacant seat of mayor was held in the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) building in G-6 by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Of the total 73 members, 69 votes were polled as four members remained absent. The PML-N has 46 members but polled 43 votes, which meant three of its members voted for the PTI candidate. The PTI had 23 members in the MCI.

An independent candidate, Azhar Mahmood, could not secure even a single vote as being ill he himself did not turn up for the election.

The mayor’s seat fell vacant in October following the surprise resignation of PML-N’s Sheikh Anser Aziz. “The victory of the PML-N in the by-election for the mayor has brought a new life to the party in the federal capital when opposition parties are planning to hold a long march towards Islamabad to seek resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan,” said MCI member Sajid Abbasi, who belongs to the PML-N.

He claimed that the PTI had made attempts to win the loyalty of voters but failed.

PTI’s UC chairman from Sohan and member of the MCI Malik Amir refuted the allegation and said his party did not make any attempt to buy votes. Despite this, the ruling party candidate got three extra votes.

“We knew that our numbers were inadequate to win the election but we participated in the election process to promote democratic norms,” he said.

“I don’t think the new mayor will take any step for the welfare of the people of Islamabad. We are not expecting any miracle from the new mayor who will hardly have two months tenure. His predecessor Sheikh Anser Aziz failed in his four-and-a-half-year-long tenure, so what to talk of the newcomer,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2020