PPP in pole position in Karachi after victory in LG by-elections

Supporters of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples party (PPP), gather during a rally in Karachi on October 18, 2014. Tens of thousands of PPP supporters gathered in Karachi to hear Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of the country's slain premier Benazir Bhutto, on the formal launch of his political career. AFP PHOTO/Asif HASSAN

KARACHI: (HRNW) Pakistan People Party (PPP) celebrated major win in Karachi after clinching majority seats in the local government by-elections, moving closer to the city’s mayoral seat.

The party has secured seats of the 98 union council constituencies in the port city with its overall position strengthening after announcement of the unofficial and unconfirmed results of the by-polls — held a day earlier — was made.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has, so far, announced the result of 240 seats out of the total 246 across the city. The electoral body has withheld results of six remaining seats which include five from district west and one from district east.

Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is at the second spot and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is on third with 89 and 42 seats in the provincial capital, respectively.

Other parties that secured seats in Sindh in the local body elections include Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with seven seats and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) two, while one seat each went to Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and an independent candidate.

Following his party’s victory, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed gratitude for the party’s success in the by-elections terming it a “historical achievement”.

Taking to its Twitter account, the party shared Bilawal’s message after the win.

“From Karachi to Kashmore, people have once again reposed their faith in the PPP. It is a historical achievement that all the district chairmen, including Karachi and Hyderabad, will be jiyalas (PPP supporters),” the PPP chairman said.