AJK Election Commission reserves verdict on vote-rigging allegations in PM Rathore’s home constituency

WEB DESK: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has reserved its verdict after completing hearings on a recount petition alleging rigging in the election results from LA-17 Haveli, the home constituency of Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

Chief Election Commissioner of AJK heard arguments on the recount petition filed by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz. The petition raised objections over alleged tampering in Form 24 and disputed the declared results, with lawyers for both sides presenting their arguments on the recount.

According to local journalist Kashif Mir, the AJK Election Commission had a day earlier revoked a disputed Form 26 issued by the returning officer for Haveli on August 11, while also declaring a Form 27 circulated on social media by Rathore and PPP leaders to be fake.

The Election Commission admitted Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz’s petition for hearing and had summoned both Rathore and Aziz to appear in person.

Notably, the Pakistan Peoples Party has accused PML-N of rigging since the first phase of polling in the Mirpur division, and has submitted written complaints to the Election Commission on the matter. PML-N leaders, including Rana Sanaullah, Attaullah Tarar and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, have nonetheless repeatedly described the elections as free, fair and transparent in statements to the media.

In LA-17, however, PML-N’s own candidate has levelled serious rigging allegations against the PPP candidate and prime minister, Faisal Rathore, and approached the Election Commission, a claim the party leadership has so far declined to address publicly.

The AJK election is being held in three phases with PML-N winning the most seats so far, and PPP in second place.