Karachi:
The unofficial results of choosing 28 local government seats in 14 districts in Sindh, including three in Karachi, showed Pakistan Peoples Party, which came out as the front runner.
The Pakistan Election Commission has so far released unofficial results for 20 seats. According to the preliminary figures, PPP candidates secured 17-seat victory, while Jamaat-e-Islami, the great Democratic Alliance and an independent candidate won a seat each.
Polling began at. 8 and ended at. 16.00. The voter’s turnout remained relatively low across multiple constituencies. The overall voting process allegedly remained peaceful, but some sporadic events with turmoil were reported in Karachi.
By-Polls was held for six chairmen, seven vice-chairmen, 13 general members and two district council members. About 243,187 voters (133,038 men and 110,154 women) were eligible to give their ballot papers at 168 polling rooms.
Large political parties, including PPP, Jamaat-E-Islami, Jui-F, TLP and PML-N, field their candidates, while several independent supported by PTI were also in the race.
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In elections in Karachi was held in five seats across Eastern, West and Keamari districts with 54 candidates in the crisis. According to unofficial results, PPPS Shahroze Ahmed secured the Vice President’s seat in UC-8 in Sohrab Goth with 1,790 votes and defeated the independent candidate Jaleel Ahmed Mughiri, who got 166 votes.
PPP also won Karachis Bhitt Shah Town Committee’s general member seat with 714 votes, while his two independent rivals together only succeeded four votes.
In Karachis Baldia Town UC-8, PPP’s Mohammad Faisal came victorious during the vice-president and secured 3,132 votes. Independent candidate Hasnain Ali Chauhan followed 1,084 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islamis Yasir Hayat pulled with 796.
In Manghopir’s UC-10, PPP candidate Stephen Masih won the Vice-President’s seat with 891 votes, while Awami National Party’s candidate secured 324 votes, according to unofficial results.
PPP’s candidate Shehnila Amir won the chairman’s seat in Orangi UC-1 with 3,801 votes. TLP candidate Muhammad Ali secured second place with 1,787 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Muhammad Khurshid Alam finished in third place with 1,288 votes.
In Orangi Towns Ward-4 edges Jamaat-e-Islamis Mohammad Bilal Naseer narrowly PPP’s Sheikh Azhar by securing 791 votes against 749.
Strong viewing in other districts in sindh
Outside of Karachi, PPP maintained its dominance in other parts of Sindh. In the Dadu District’s UC-64, PPP’s candidate won the department’s member with 554 votes. In the same district, its nominated district council secured a compelling victory with 2,144 votes.
In Mirpurkhas, the PPP candidate for Vice-President of UC-53 votes 3,186 votes and came comfortably against independent rival who could only secure 540 votes.
In Rohris UC-20 in Sukkur, PPP’s candidate with 2,677 votes and defeated Jui-F’s nominees secured 765. In Makki Shah Town, Sukkur, PPPS Nazir Ahmed won the general member’s seat with 450 votes.
PPP’s dominance expanded to Badin’s Matli UC-5, where its candidate for the seat of the chairman voted 2,218 votes. In Khairpur, the party secured two wins, a member of the City Committee with 879 votes and the UC-12 Presidency with 3,708 votes and defeated Gdas Mukhtiar Ahmed, who received 417.
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Independent candidates also registered winner. In Mirpurkhas’ UC-20, Owais secured 338 votes for the general member seat, leaving TLP’s Mohammad Rafiq afterwards with 71 votes.
In Thattas UC-12, PPP’s Vice-President Candidate came out with 1,281 votes against independent candidate Waqas Ahmed, who got 261 votes.
The reigning party also published back-to-back victories in the Umerkot district, where its candidates dominated the competitions for both District Council member and Union Council’s chairman SEATS.
For the District Council seat in Umerkot, the PPP candidate lowered 4,080 votes and defeated comfortably an independent challenger administering 902 votes.
In UC-19 in the same district, PPP’s winning strip continued as their candidate secured 4,134 votes in the presidential race. The closest rival, an independent candidate, received 977 votes.
However, a remarkable exception to OPP’s performance in Umerkot’s UC-41, with Gdas Mohammad Daim secured 1,256 votes and defeated PPP’s Aftab Ali, who received only three votes.
The ECP noted that out of 67 planned on election across Sindh, 33 candidates were elected unliked. No nominations were filed in two constituencies, while nomination papers of three candidates were rejected. A candidate volunteered from the competition.
Polling disturbances
Although the ECP described the process as orderly, minor disturbances broke out in Karachi. Outside the UC-10 election rooms in Manghopir Town and UC-8 in Baldia Town, confrontations between rival political groups escalated in short scrubs before police intervened to control the situation.
At an election site in Orangi Towns UC-1 tensions rose as activists from a religious party alleged irregularities. Senior police officers and further forces were called in to abuse the tension.
The provincial Election Commissioner later sought reports from district surveillance and recurring officers after complaints of polls and alleged mismatches. However, ECP officials rejected allegations of irregularities and insisted that by-balls were carried out in a largely peaceful atmosphere.
