PTI takes lead in second phase of KP LG polls

PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was leading in the second phase of the local government polls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as counting of votes is still underway, ARY News reported.

Polling was held for the slots of chairmen and mayors of 65 tehsil councils.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results of 30 tehsil councils, PTI so far grabbed 13 tehsils seats, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) five and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won two seats.

Similarly, Awami National Party (ANP) managed to clinch two seats while Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) have won one seat each.

Likewise, independent candidates have so far secured six tehsil councils in KP second phase polls, as per unofficial results.

Meanwhile, at least two persons were killed and several others injured during polling in 18 districts of KP on Thursday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday congratulated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) team for overwhelming success in the second phase of local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and said that the people of the province have rejected traitors.

Taking to Twitter over success in the majority of the KP tehsils, the prime minister congratulated Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and the entire PTI team for their overwhelming success in second phase of KP LG polls.

Congratulations to CM @IMMahmoodKhan & our PTI team for their overwhelming success in Phase 2 of KP LG polls. Ppl of KP have emphatically rejected the traitors who sold out to foreign masters. This is an early warning to all traitors of what awaits them in their constituencies.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 1, 2022

The second phase of the LG polls will bring an end to election of local bodies in the province.

In the first phase of the polls on December 19, 2021 in 17 districts of the province, JUI-F had bagged 23 slots of mayor/chairman of tehsil councils while PTI trailed behind with 18 seats.

Independent candidates remained successful on 10 seats of tehsil council chairman/mayor, whereas ANP had won seven seats. Three seats were won by PML-N, two seats each by JI and Tehreek-i-Islahat Pakistan and one by PPP.