News

PML-N scores hat-trick in Punjab LG polls

Dec 06 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
RAWALPINDI / LAHORE: 

The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has scored a hat-trick with an apparent lead in the third and final phase of the local government elections in Punjab on Saturday.

Consolidated with its wins in the previous two stages of the LG polls, the PML-N has maintained its dominance over the province. Unofficial and unconfirmed results of the third phase received until 1am put the ruling party ahead of the pack with 560 seats of the union council chairman, closely followed by independent candidates with 513 wins.

Mission accomplished: CEC content with ‘better than before’ elections

Dec 06 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: 

An hour after voting ended for the third phase of local government elections on Saturday, the chief election commissioner (CEC) expressed satisfaction with the overall exercise and termed the polls ‘better than any previous elections’.

Twelve districts of Punjab and six in Karachi went for polls in the final phase which started at 7.30am and culminated at around 5.30pm without any break.

Final phase of elections: ECP rule violations mar Rawalpindi polls

Dec 06 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
RAWALPINDI / ISLAMABAD: 

The third and final phase of local government elections in Rawalpindi on Saturday saw a high voter turnout, especially in less-developed constituencies of the city, only to be stained by couple of unpleasant incidents one involving a murder and another a clash between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters in Union Council (UC)-78 that left two injured, as well as serious violations of the election commission’s code of conduct.

Christian candidate wants to prove minorities are electable

Dec 06 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: The election for the chairmanship of Union Council (UC) 16 in Rawalpindi has been deferred for 15 days due to the death of a candidate.

The UC stands out in Rawalpindi as the only one where a Christian is running for chairmanship.

The candidate — Sohail Ishtiaq — is in fact the only non-Muslim in the race for chairmanship of a UC in Rawalpindi. Ishtiaq told The Express Tribune that elections for the top slot have been postponed, but the rest of the panel is contesting for lower seats as scheduled.

Islamabad LG polls: PTI surprises everyone with success in urban areas

Dec 02 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Against its own expectations, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has emerged as the second largest party in Monday’s local government elections, claiming the chairman’s slot in at least 16 of the 50 union councils in the federal capital.

Following their rout in the first and second phases of LG elections in Punjab and Sindh, the PTI leadership was hopeful of a decent showing in the capital, where it had twice won the NA-48 constituency in the 2013 elections, fielding Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and Asad Umar in the general and by-elections, respectively.

Top court says no vote recount without evidence

Dec 02 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: The top court has declared the process of recounting ballot papers should not be initiated without solid evidence of wrongdoing.

“The secrecy of the ballot should not be violated on the basis of frivolous, vague and totally unfounded allegations,” stated a three-judge apex court bench, headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, on Tuesday.

The judges issued the written judgment while declaring Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Jam Madad Ali as the winner on PS-81 in Sanghar.

Unofficial results: PML-N bags lead in Islamabad LG polls, PTI comes in second

Dec 01 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took the lead in the first local government (LG) polls held in the federal capital since 1979, Radio Pakistan reported.

Unofficial election results available on Tuesday reveal the PML-N secured 21 seats, with rival Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf coming in second, winning 16 seats.

Independent candidates emerged as the third largest entity, grabbing a total of 13 seats.

Islamabad LG polls conclude peacefully

Dec 01 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Local government (LG) elections concluded peacefully in the federal capital on Monday amid low voter turnout and high security.

Voting began at 7.00am and continued without any break till 5.30pm, Radio Pakistan earlier reported.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) received at least 30 complaints of minor nature.

Residents of Islamabad went to the polls today to elect local representatives for the first time under the newly-minted Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015.

Plot to disrupt LG polls foiled: Rangers

Dec 01 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, on Monday claimed to have foiled a plot to sabotage the upcoming local government elections after seizing a huge cache of arms and ammunition and arresting a suspect associated with a political party.

The paramilitary force conducted a targeted action in the old city area of Bheempura and arrested the ‘criminal affiliated with a political party’, said a Rangers spokesperson.

Ruling party, PTI in a close tangle

Dec 01 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: 

In the first-ever local government elections in the federal capital on Monday, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) scrambled to get ahead of each other, with Nawaz Sharif’s party narrowly holding the edge.

Unofficial results collated from 44 of the 50 union councils show that the PML-N has won 20 UCs, followed by the PTI with 18 and independent candidates with six.

Islamabad LG polls kick off amidst tight security

Nov 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Local government (LG) elections kicked off in the federal capital at 7.00am on Monday and are expected to continue till 5.30pm without any break, Radio Pakistan reported.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received as many as 30 complaints of minor nature so far.

Residents of Islamabad will go to the polls today to elect local representatives for the first time under the newly-minted Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015.

The last such exercise was held under military rule in 1979 on a non-party basis and was limited to rural areas only.

LG polls: The rural-urban divide in Islamabad

Nov 30 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
Dawn

ISLAMABAD: Although rural parts of the capital voted in one local government election in 1979, residents of the urban areas have never before been given the chance to elect representatives at the grassroots-level.

The psyche of voters differs between the rural and urban parts of the capital. In the rural areas, there is definitely a greater involvement with the electoral process and many residents believe that the representatives they elect on Monday will be able to work towards their betterment in a more effective way.

State of denial: PTI challenges NA-122 results again

Nov 27 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD: 

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) seems to be in a state of denial when it comes to losing an election to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), whether it’s the general election or a by-poll.

PTI’s Aleem Khan, who lost by a narrow margin the NA-122 (Lahore-V) by-election last month to PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq, now speaker of the National Assembly, approached the top polls supervisory body on Thursday to challenge the result.

Twin cities ready for polls

Nov 25 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune
ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: 

The capital’s Deputy Commissioner Mushtaq Ahmed has said the administration is all set v ensure free, fair and transparent local bodies elections in the city.

He was presiding over a meeting of district election commission, attended by officials and representatives of political parties. Ahmed directed all district officials to ensure strict implementation of code of conduct issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, saying said strict legal action would be taken against anyone found violating the code.

Army to supervise polling at 62 stations

Nov 25 2015
Pakistan
Source: 
The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: The top election authority has decided to deploy troops at 62 ‘highly sensitive’ buildings in Islamabad for local government polls scheduled for November 30.

The decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held to review arrangements for the elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan presided over the meeting, where the interior secretary, Punjab police chief and Islamabad chief election commissioner among other officials were also present.

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