MQM bags 135 seats, to have chairmen in at least three districts

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) secured 135 seats in the local bodies (LB) elections held in six districts of Karachi and the party was all set to clinch the slots of chairmen of at least three districts.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured 1,045 seats in the third phase of the local bodies (LB) elections in 12 districts of Punjab while independent candidates secured 1039 seats and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 259 seats.
According to unofficial and unconfirmed results pouring in from different parts of Karachi, the MQM’s kite flew high in the metropolitan city by securing 138 seats so far followed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with 32 seats. The Jamaat-e-Islami won 11, PML-N 8, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) clinched 7 seats.
MQM candidates defeated JI Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman and PTI Karachi President Ali Zaidi. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi Division President Najmi Alam was defeated by a PTI candidate in Clifton.
The PML-N’s lion once again roared loud and clear in 12 Punjab districts including Rawalpindi, Sialkot, Norowal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Khushab, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Jhang, Rahim Yar Khan, Layyah and Muzzaffargarh. A large number of independents also won from Multan.
According to unofficial results, PML-N grabbed the highest number of seats in the region, followed by independent candidates.In Multan, the PML-N grabbed 49 seats of District Council and 33 seats of Municipal Corporation, while the PTI could only bag 30 seats of District Council and Municipal Corporation and the independent candidates won 12 seats of Municipal Corporation and 47 seats of District Council.
In Layyah, the PML-N and independent candidates grabbed 20 seats of Union Councils each, while the PTI could only bag 7 seats.In Bahawalpur, the PML-N won 49 seats of District Council out of 88, while the independent candidates bag 25 seats. The PML-N won 12 seats of Municipal Corporation out of 21.
In Muzaffargarh, the PML-N bagged 57 UC seats out of 111, while in Dera Ghazi Khan, the PML-N grabbed 28 out of 98 UC seats and the independent candidates won 20 seats, while the PTI could only win 8 seats.
Jhang was taken up by the candidates fielded by Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi. The candidates of Jamshed Dasti also succeeded from Muzaffargarh.The Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was sure of victory but was unable to achieve his target.