KARACHI: Keeping up its impressive showing in the first phase of the local government elections, the PPP turned out as the dominant party in the second phase as well, winning up to 70 per cent of the seats up for grabs in 14 districts of Sindh, initial unofficial results showed on Friday.

According to reports from the districts in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Benazirabad divisions, the PPP won 3,274 seats in district councils, municipal, town and union committees and union councils.

The PPP grabbed all the 14 district councils, most of the 14 municipal and 84 town committees, and hundreds of union councils. However, it could win just 14 out of 96 union committees in Hyderabad, where the Muttahida Qaumi Movement won 77.

Also read: Situationer: 2nd phase may reinforce earlier trends

The MQM was a distant second with 499 seats, independents got 600 and the group of Zulfiqar Mirza and his allies 230 seats in Badin district. The PML-N won 75 seats, Arbab group 50 in Thar and the Shirazis and PML-F almost as many.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2015