MUZAFFARABAD: Vote counting continued after polling concluded in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with unofficial and preliminary results showing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerging as the dominant party.
Polling was held for eight constituencies in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. Voting remained peaceful and continued until 6pm in the eight Muzaffarabad Division constituencies.
However, polling in LA-27 was postponed after election staff and polling materials failed to reach all 196 polling stations due to adverse weather and landslides.
According to unofficial and provisional results, the PML-N secured nine seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won one seat.
In LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV, PML-N candidate Mustafa Bashir Abbasi won with 17,749 votes, defeating PPP’s Mubashir Munir Awan, who secured 11,947 votes.
In the refugee constituencies, PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail won LA-35 Jammu-II with 23,893 votes, while Muhammad Ahsan Raza claimed LA-36 Jammu-III after receiving 27,218 votes. PML-N’s Maryam Javed also secured victory in LA-37 Jammu-IV with 28,664 votes, and Raja Muhammad Siddique won LA-39 Jammu-VI with 10,981 votes.
The ruling party also prevailed in the Kashmir Valley refugee constituencies, with Muhammad Amir Shah winning LA-41, Syed Shaukat Ali Shah taking LA-42, Muhammad Yasin Lone securing LA-43, and Muhammad Ahmed Raza Qadri emerging victorious in LA-44.
The PPP’s only confirmed victory came in LA-45 Kashmir Valley-VI, where Abdul Majeed Khan won with 3,448 votes, defeating the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference’s Khawaja Muhammad Dilawar, who polled 823 votes.
Meanwhile, counting is still underway in several constituencies, including LA-25 Neelum Valley-I, LA-26 Neelum Valley-II, LA-34 Jammu-I, LA-38 Jammu-V, and LA-40 Kashmir Valley-I, where preliminary results indicate close contests.
Election authorities have yet to issue the official results, and the current figures remain unofficial and provisional.
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