LAHORE/ KARACHI: The
Cantonment Boards elections have shown divided mandate across Pakistan. However, an interesting contest was witnessed in Lahore and Karachi. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) remained victorious in Lahore with 7 out of 10 seats, whereas Pakistan Tehreek- e- Insaf (PTI) won in Karachi by bagging 12 seats . Pakistan People Party (PPP) remained runner up in Karachi with 7 seats. Mutiheda Qaumi Movement (MQM) and PMLN won 3 seats each. MQM remained winner in Hyderqbad by bagging 7 seats. PPP won both seats of Manora cantt.
PTI won in Gujranwala cantonment The win in Gujranwala is of extraordinary significance for PTI. PTI had lost in Gujranwala in the last general elections. PTI also won in D I Khan. It bagged both seats in D i khan.
PMLN won in Texila cantonment. It won 3 seats in Texila whereas PTI bagged 2 seats in Taxila .PMLN also remained winner in Bahawalpur.
PTI remained as a single majority party in majority of cantonments in Khyber Pukhtunkhaw (KPK). However, in Abottabad, PMLN emerged as a leading party with majority seats.
In many cantoments like Sargodha, Murdan
independents won majority seats. In Sargodha cantoment, independents got 5 seats PTI 3 and PMLN 2. PTI swept elections in Jehlum, Kharian cantonments. PTI and PMLN got divided mandate in Gulyat Kalabagh. PPP could not make substantial gains in Punjab, KPK and Balochistan.
PMLN vice president, Maryam Nawaz in her first reaction to the results of cantonment boards elections said ” pMLN performed well despite the worst-ever enemity”. She called Saad Rafiq on phone òn Sunday and congratulated him for winning the cantonment elections in Lahore.
Mian Shahbaz Sharif also expressed pleasure over good performance of PMLN in the cantonment elections.
Ejaz Chaudhary of PTI said cantonment elections do not reflect political trend as its a local forum of politics. No reaction came from PPP on its performance in cantonment elections till filing of this report.