LG by-poll: JI retains almost all seats in Lower Dir

TIMERGARA: Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) successfully retained almost all seats in Lower Dir local government by-poll and won two tehsil and 16 general seats out of the total 23.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the JI candidate for tehsil council, Shahikhel Gul Hakim, secured 1104 votes while PPP candidate Manzoor Ahmad got 900 votes. Similarly, JI candidate for tehsil council Samarbagh Azizur Rahman got 2030 against 1523 votes of his Sarbuland Khan of PTI.

Out of the total 23 general seats (including youth, peasant and general) PTI grabbed 3, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) 1, Awami National Party (ANP) 2, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) 1 and JI 16.

The election for the two tehsil council seats got much attention because Samarbagh council belongs to JI chief Sirajul Haq while that of Shahikhel council belongs to KP Finance Minister Muzaffar Said.

Our correspondent adds from Swat: Independent candidate Habibullah emerged triumphant in the by-poll on the general seat at Totano Bandai-1 in Swat district. He obtained 642 votes against 464 of his rival Iqbal Buland of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.