PML-N wins 13 seats in second phase of AJK elections; PPP trails behind with five

WEBDESK: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the leading party in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, winning 13 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured five, according to unofficial and provisional results.

Polling in the second phase covered 21 constituencies, including nine seats in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee constituencies. However, voting in LA-27 Muzaffarabad was postponed until August 4 after heavy rainfall and landslides blocked several roads, preventing election staff and materials from reaching polling stations on time.

The Election Commission had originally scheduled polling from 8am to 5pm, but voting hours were extended by one hour in eight Muzaffarabad Division constituencies, allowing voters to cast ballots until 6pm.

The second phase is part of a three-stage electoral process. The first phase was held in the Mirpur Division on July 27, while polling in the Poonch Division is scheduled for August 10.

More than 300 candidates contested the 20 constituencies where polling was held on Sunday. The 12 refugee seats include seven representing refugees residing in Punjab, while the remaining seats are allocated to voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad.

The election was marred by allegations of irregularities from the PPP, which accused the PML-N of electoral misconduct, violence and rigging in several constituencies.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that the PML-N was attempting to “steal the public mandate” in the second phase of the elections. He also claimed that AJK PPP President and LA-31 candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar was attacked during polling, while party worker Mushtaq Shah was killed in the same constituency.

Among the key results, PML-N’s Shah Ghulam Qadir won LA-25 Neelum Valley-I, while PPP’s Sardar Mukhtar Khan secured LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III and Diwan Ali Khan Qamar Chughtai won LA-33 Muzaffarabad-VII. Former AJK prime minister Raja Farooq Haider of the PML-N retained LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI.

The PML-N also won several refugee constituencies, including LA-34 Jammu-I, LA-35 Jammu-II, LA-36 Jammu-III, LA-37 Jammu-IV, LA-38 Jammu-V, LA-41 Kashmir Valley-II, LA-42 Kashmir Valley-III, LA-43 Kashmir Valley-IV and LA-44 Kashmir Valley-V.

PPP secured victories in LA-40 Kashmir Valley-I and LA-45 Kashmir Valley-VI, while results for LA-26 Neelum Valley-II and LA-39 Jammu-VI were still awaited from all polling stations.