- Party had already swept local polls in late 2015
- Sanaullah’s man beats Sher Ali’s man to clinch Faisalabad
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has swept elections for heads of local governments in Punjab province, according to unofficial results released on Thursday.
The party has won at least 25 seats in district councils out of 33 in Punjab.
UNOPPOSED IN LAHORE:
PML-N’s Colonel (retd) Mubashir Javaid had already been elected unopposed as Lahore’s mayor after the Election Commission had rejected candidature of his opponent from PTI because the party had failed to complete its panel. All the nine deputy mayors of Lahore have also been elected unopposed, and they all belong to PML-N.
SANAULLAH’S MAN BEATS SHER ALI’S IN FAISALABAD:
Pakistan Muslim League-N candidates won all seats in the final stage of local government (LG) elections in Faisalabad district. PML-N candidate Chaudhry Zahid Nazir (Lion) got 176 votes and was elected chairman district council while his opponent, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sardar Khan Bahadar Dogar (Bat), could get only 16 votes.
Similarly, in Municipal Corporation, the actual fight was between PML-N candidates. However, Muhammad Razzaq Malik (Lion) got 105 votes while his opponent Sheraz Kahlon (Vase) bagged 73 votes.
The entire elections process was completed in a peaceful manner. In district council, three panels including Chaudhry Zahid Nazir panel, Mian Qasim Farooq panel and Sardar Khan Bahadar Dogar panel contested for the office of chairman. There were a total of 214 votes in district council where 194 votes were cast while two votes were rejected.
The same panels also participated in LG polls for the city mayor’s seat.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah group’s candidate Muhammad Razzaq Malik panel contested the LG election on the symbol of Lion while the Mayor Group, supported by former Mayor Chaudhary Sher Ali, fielded Sheraz Kahlon as independent candidate for the top slot of Municipal Corporation with a symbol of Vase (Guldan).
The PTI supported candidate, former City Nazim Chaudhary Mumtaz Ali Cheema, contested the LG election for the office of City Mayor with a symbol of Refrigerator, but got no vote.
There were a total 182 votes in Municipal Corporation where 180 votes were cast and out of them two were rejected.
According to unofficial results, Muhammad Razzaq Malik (Lion) got 105 votes and Sheraz Kahlon (Vase) bagged 73 votes.
IK DISGRUNTLED WITH PARTY MEMBERS OVER ALLIANCE WITH PML-N:
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has stated on his Twitter handle that “all those PTI members who voted for PML-N in Faisalabad and elsewhere will be kicked out of PTI immediately”. He was speaking in response to reports that some of his party members voted for PML-N in Faisalabad in the LB elections. He vowed to get rid of all the party members and leaders who went into alliance with PML-N.
PML-N, overall in Punjab, won the elections while Rana Sanaullah Group was declared successful in Faisalabad against a candidate Sheraz Kahlon, backed by former Mayor Sher Ali.
UNOPPOSED VICTORIES:
PML-N bagged another three seats unopposed in Punjab as Sialkot’s Tauheed Akhtar Chaudhry, Asad Baloch of Sahiwal and Gujrat’s Haji Nasir Mehmood won unopposed.
In Dera Ghazi Khan, PML-N’s Shahid Hameed defeated two independent candidates named Imran Shah and Sardar Sherbaz.
Similarly, PML-N candidates have won in Bahawalpur, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari, Layyah, and Gujrat District Councils.
All mayors, deputy mayors, district chairmen and vice chairmen will take oath of their offices on 31st of this month.