KP Native Govt Polls: Preliminary outcomes present JUI-F lead on Peshawar mayor seat, different fronts

The primary section of native authorities polls, marked by scattered incidents of violence and assaults that claimed 5 lives and destroyed some polling stations, was held on Sunday after a spot of six years.

With the unofficial outcomes of mayor/chairman of the 63 tehsil councils being in early phases, JUI-F candidates have been forward of their rivals because the PTI confronted setbacks in elements of the province, the place the Awami Nationwide Occasion (ANP) and Jamaat-i-Islami appeared to have regained energy. In Peshawar, in response to preliminary, unofficial outcomes, JUI-F candidates have been main in three of the seven councils, whereas the PTI and the ANP have been forward in two tehsils every.
The Election Fee of Pakistan, which arrange 9,223 polling stations for 12.668 million registered voters, needed to postpone the vote in some areas of the 17 districts attributable to disturbances, together with a suicide blast in Bajaur, abduction of polling employees in Bannu, a conflict in Karak and a mob assault on Minister Shibli Faraz’s car in Kohat. Nonetheless, owing to the choice of the ECP to carry the native authorities elections in two phases, total preparations have been higher than what had been witnessed in the course of the 2015 polls.

In Swabi, the PTI confronted a setback as provincial minister Shahram Tarakai’s uncle Baland Iqbal misplaced to ANP candidate Ghulam Haqqani in Razar Tehsil. JUI-F and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have been main in Tehsil Topi and Lahor whereas outcomes of Swabi tehsil have been delayed for unknown causes. The JUI-F was additionally main in two of the three tehsils of Charsadda district. In Mardan, ANP’s candidate was far forward of his rivals for the mayor seat, whereas JUI-F was main in Katlang and Takhbai tehsils. Outcomes from Garhi Kapura and Rustam tehsils of Mardan have been awaited.

In Nowshera, the native city of Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, his son Ishaq Khattak, was main in a single tehsil and ANP’s candidates have been forward in two different tehsils. In Haripur, PML-N candidates have been forward of their rivals in Khanpur and Ghazi tehsils whereas an unbiased candidate was main in Haripur tehsil.

In Khyber, the newly shaped Tehreek-i-Islahat Pakistan social gathering was main in Landi Kotal and Jamrud tehsil, whereas JUI-F was forward of its rivals in tehsil Bara. In Bajaur, JUI-F and JI have been main in Khar and Nawagai tehsils, respectively. Additionally, the JUI-F was main in Higher Mohmand and Khaweezai tehsils whereas ANP was within the lead within the decrease Mohmand tehsil. In Bannu, two tehsils have been dominated by the PTI whereas JUI-F and an unbiased candidate have been main in every of the opposite two tehsil councils. In Dera Ismail Khan, PTI, JI, JUI-F and PPP candidates have been main one seat every in 4 tehsils, whereas an unbiased was forward on the fifth tehsil. In Lakki Marwat, unbiased candidates have been main in two tehsils whereas the JI candidate was forward within the third tehsil.

In keeping with the ECP, a complete of two,032 candidates had already been elected unopposed on VCNC seats, together with 217 common councillors, 876 girls, 285 peasants, 500 youth and 154 minority seats, within the 17 districts of KP.

In all, 12.668 million voters — seven million male and 5 and a half million feminine — have been registered for the polls within the 17 KP districts specifically Buner, Bajaur, Swabi, Peshawar, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Tank, Haripur, Khyber, Mohmand, Mardan, Charsadda, Hangu and Lakki Marwat. Of the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas, native authorities elections have been held for the primary time in Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur districts.

In Bajaur’s Mamund tehsil, a suicide assault on a car taking voters to a polling station left two ANP employees lifeless and 5 others wounded, District Police Officer Abdul Samad Khan mentioned. The suicide bomber blew himself up close to the car within the Kamar Sar locality on Inayat Killey-Laghari highway, near the Afghan border, at round 12.40pm, the officer mentioned.

In Kohat, federal Minister for Science and Data Know-how Shibli Faraz who had arrived in Darra Adamkhel space to solid his vote got here beneath assault throughout a protest towards the merger of tribal areas with KP. The mob pelted the official car of the minister with stones, injuring the driving force, police mentioned. The unruly mob additionally burned down polling stations in Jammu, Paya Jawaki, Shindhand and Ara Khel areas.

Holding black flags, the protesters raised slogans towards the merger demanding restoration of earlier standing of the tribal areas.

Whereas condemning the assault on the minister car, Inside Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed ordered the KP chief secretary and the IGP to submit a report.

Additionally, the ECP postponed elections in Bakakhel tehsil of Bannu district, the place unidentified males on the eve of polls kidnapped employees of 5 polling stations together with election materials. A senior administration official informed Daybreak the ECP postponed the polling although the authorities managed to get well the kidnapped employees. The official mentioned an FIR was registered and a three-member committee was shaped to probe the incident and submit its report inside per week.

In Faqirkhel space of Karak’s Takht Nasrti tehsil, poll-related violence left two individuals, cousins of PTI MNA Shahid Khattak, lifeless and three others critically wounded, officers mentioned.

In Khyber district, polling was suspended within the distant Bazaar-Zakhakhel locality after a rocket exploded close to a polling station. Whereas no casualty was reported, native sources mentioned, volunteers of the Bazaar-Zakhakhel peace committee utilizing the incident as an excuse disrupted the polling by taking polling employees hostage for a while and destroying election materials. They, nevertheless, later blamed one of many non-local candidates and his supporters chargeable for the episode.

Anwarullah Khan in Bajaur, Abdul Sami Paracha in Kohat and Ibrahim Shinwari in Landi Kotal additionally contributed to this report.