By-election arranged for Abbottabad district council

ABBOTTABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) - backed two candidates won Abbottabad District Council seats while third seat was won by independent candidate in the by-election held on the three seats of the council here on Sunday.

Three district council seats fell vacant after de-seating of Abbottabad district Nazim, Sardar Sher Bahadar, Naib Nazim Shaukat Tanoli and member from Bakot, Nazir Abbasi, under defection clause of local bodies act.

In the Kehal Union Council Rana Safdar and in Salhad Union Council Malik Suleman won the seats. Nazir Abbasi retained his seat as he was de-seated under defection clause.

A close contest was reported on the two seats where a tough fight was observed between two rival candidates of PTI and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

In Salhad Union Council, PTI nominee Malik Suleman got 2196 votes against his rival Shafeeq Tanoli of PML (N) who got 2076.

In the Kehal Union council, Rana Safdar of PTI got 1513 votes while his close rival Muhammad Sajid Awan of PML (N) got 1260 votes.

In Bakot Union Council, Nazir Abbasi who was earlier worker of PTI faced de-seating retained his seat this time with the support of PML-N though he contested as an Independent and got 5017 votes against his rival Shaukat Abbasi of PTI who got 3410 votes.

Election for the one tehsil council seats was also held which was won by Basit Abbasi who got 4,60 vote while his rival Chaudhry Riaz got 2,883 votes. A heavy contingent of police had been deployed at all the polling stations in the district.