PTI makes presence felt in all 24 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts

PESHAWAR: An analysis of the recently held local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) took the lead in majority of the districts of followed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).
The PTI was the only party that showed presence in all the 24 districts. The ANP regained its strength in its strongholds of Charsadda, Swabi, Mardan as well as Torghar, the newly created district.
The JUI-F remained strong in southern districts of the province while PML-N did well in some districts of Hazara and Malakand divisions. The JI maintained its strength in the districts of Upper Dir and Lower Dir and secured considerable representation in Chitral and Buner as well.Though the district returning officers were supposed to display official results by June 7 as per polls schedule, only a few could do so.
In Peshawar, official results of 74 out of 92 union councils were declared while re-polling would be held at the remaining 18 seats. The PTI secured 42 seats in Peshawar, ANP got seven and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), JUI-F and JI five seats each. The PML-N won three seats while the Pakistan Rah-i-Haq Party one seat. Eleven independent candidates also made it to the district council.
Nowshera: In Nowshera, which is the hometown of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, the PTI secured led with 21 district council members. Out of the total 47 district council seats, results of 14 have been kept pending. ANP secured six seats, followed by JUI-F with two, JI one and three independents.
Charsadda: The native district of ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan was led by ANP with 13 seats, closely followed by PTI with 12. The district has a total of 50 seats. The result of one union council is awaited. Aftab Sherpao’s Qaumi Watan Party secured nine seats while JUI-F succeeded on seven and JI three. The independents got four seats.
Swabi: Historically a stronghold of ANP, the Swabi district was also led by it. ANP won 21 seats out of 55. The strength of the district council members is 56, but result of one union council is pending. The PTI suffered serious setback here with only six seats. The JUI-F, Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) got seven and six seats, respectively. The PML-N, JI and QWP secured two seats each and 10 independents were also elected.
Mardan: The PTI and ANP got equal number of seats - ie 21 - followed by 16 independents in Mardan district, which has 75 seats. The result of one union council was withheld. The JUI-F remained third with six seats while four members of PPP made it to the district council. The JI and PML-N got two and one seat, respectively.
Malakand: The ruling PTI got more seats than any other political party in the district. Out of 28 seats of the district council, the PTI secured 11 seats, followed by PPP with eight. ANP and JI grabbed two seats each while five independents also made it to the district council. Lower Dir: The district was overwhelmingly won by the JI as it got 23 out of total 41 seats. The ANP and PTI got five seats each while three were won by PPP. The PML-N got two seats and QWP will be represented by one district member. Two independent candidates also made it to the district council.
Upper Dir: Considered as stronghold of the JI, the party won more than 80 percent of the seats in the district. It secured 22 seats out of total 32. PPP with six and PTI with two remained second and third. The PML-N got two seats.
Chitral: The JUI-F emerged the largest party in the district with seven seats in the district council of 24 members. The JI remained second with six and PTI secured five seats. The PPP, once considered a strong force of the district won only three seats. The All Pakistan Muslim League of former military dictator General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf won two seats while an independent candidate also got a seat.
Swat: There was tough competition between PML-N and PTI in Swat, which had been swept by the PTI in the 2013 general elections. The PML-N with 22 seats stood first in the district, closely followed by PTI with 21. The ANP got eight seats while JI and PPP secured one seat each. Ten independents also won district council seats. The district has 67 seats and results of four union councils were postponed.
Shangla: The PML-N showed its strength in the hometown of its central leader Amir Muqam. The party secured 13 seats out of 28. The ANP remained second with five seats, followed by PTI, PPP and AJIP with two seats each. The JUI got one seat while 10 independents also won from the district.
Buner: The ANP remained on top in the district as it won eight seats out of total 29. The PTI and JI closely followed it with seven seats each. The PML-N won three seats while JUI-F, PPP and Awami Workers Party secured one seat each. An independent candidate also won a seat.
Haripur: After Peshawar, the PTI showed its best result in Haripur district. The party won 25 seats out of 45. The PML-N secured only four seats while ANP got one seat. Fourteen independent candidates were also elected in the district. Result of one union council was postponed.
Abbottabad: The PTI also remained on top in this stronghold of PML-N with 22 seats out of 51. The PML-N secured 19 seats while the JI got one. Eight independents also won seats in the district council. The results of two union councils have not been declared.
Mansehra: The district was led by the PML-N with 20 seats out of the total 59, followed by PTI with 12. The JUI and JI got two and one seat, respectively. Twenty-three independent candidates were also elected. The result of the polls in one union council has not been declared.
Battagram: The PTI got 50 percent of the seats by securing 10 out of 20 in the district. Seven candidates of JUI-F were elected while two independents also made it to the council. The election was postponed in one of the union councils.
Torghar: Out of total 16 seats, the ANP stood on top with 6 seats, followed by PTI and JUI-F with three seats each. Four independents also secured berths in the district council.
Kohat: Out of total 32 seats of the district council, independents took the lead and secured 14 seats. JUI-F with seven seats and PTI with six seats remained second and third. The PPP got four seats and PML-N just one.
Hangu: The district has 19 seats and nine were won by the JUI-F. Three seats were secured by the PTI and two by the ANP while five independents also made it to the council.
Karak: The PTI secured six seats in the 21-member district council in Karak. The JUI-F won four seats while the ANP and the PML-N secured one seat each. A local alliance named Chontra Alliance also managed to get two seats. Seven independents also reached the council.
Lakki Marwat: The JUI-F remained on top with 17 seats out of the total 33. The PPP with six seats remained runner-up while PTI secured five seats. Four independents also won the district council seats. The election was postponed in one union council.
Tank: The PTI with six seats remained on top, closely followed by the JUI-F with five seats out of the total 16 district council seats. The PPP secured one seat while four independents also won their seats.
DI Khan: Out of total 49 seats of the district council, results of four union councils are pending. On the remaining 45 seats, the PTI with 18 seats remained on top. The district is the hometown of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman. However, his party got only 8 seats while PPP, ANP and JI secured three, two and one seats, respectively. Thirteen independents also won in the district.
Bannu: The Bannu district council has 49 seats and results of seven union councils were not declared. In the remaining 42, the JUI-F secured 20 seats, closely followed by the PTI with 18. The ANP won two seats. Two independents also won their district council seats.