Both Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) lost in their strongholds in Lahore, while Rana Sanaullah group in Faisalabad may have lost the key mayoral battle to Sher Ali group in some of the major upsets in the local government elections.
According to reports, independents won 166 seats, with PML-N winning 134 and PTI 36 seats.
Chaudhry Sher Ali, the fiery PML-N leader, who had been highly critical of another party stalwart from Faisalabad, Rana Sanaullah, won 84 seats and may have secured the mayor’s seat in Faisalabad for his son Aamir Sher Ali.
A former Tehsil Nazim in Faisalabad also lost the elections.
After the results were announced, the rival PML-N leaders Rana Sanaullah and Abid Sher Ali said that decision on who the mayor of Faisalabad is going to be would be made by Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif.
On the other hand, Salman Baloch, a joint candidate of JI and PTI lost the elections from Jamaat-e-Islami’s stronghold Mansoora, in Lahore, to a PML-N candidate.
PTI candidates also lost to PML-N rivals from Zaman Park, the area where Imran Khan resides, which falls within the constituency of another PTI leader Shafqat Mahmood.
Shafqat Mahmood resigned as the Lahore organiser of the PTI after the party’s dismal showing in Lahore’s local government elections.
