PML-N sweeps AJK elections

MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as front-runner in the polls for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly with 31 seats to its credit, official results suggested.

Official results of 41 seats have been announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan. The polling process for the 10th general elections ended for the 49 seats of the Legislative Assembly in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

The PML-N has so far been ahead of all its rival political parties in Azad Kashmir elections, followed by Pakistan People’s Party which bagged three seats, Muslim Conference which bagged three seats, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf with two seats. The Jammu Kashmir Pakistan People’s Party got one seat, and an independent candidate won a seat.

PM to visit Muzaffarabad

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will arrive in Muzaffarabad on Friday to thank Kashmiris for extending their support to his party in the polls, his spokesperson said.

The PTI congratulated PML-N for its win. The PPP however claimed that the elections had been rigged.

The results continue to pour in as vote count is still underway in many constituencies.  

Low voter turnout

Voting started at 8 AM on Thursday and continued without any break till 5 PM. Strict security measures were taken to ensure a peaceful process of voting.

Voter turnout remained low. Locals claimed that the hot weather had affected the turnout.

In AJK’s Bagh district, three political workers got injured in a clash. The polling in the area was brought to a halt due to the scuffle.

In Muzaffarabad, the workers of two political parties clashed due to which the polling stopped.

In AJK’s constituency LA-5, the Supreme Court’s Justice Saeed Akram was stopped from casting a vote.

Presiding Officer Prof. Azizul Rehman said that the judge was stopped from voting as he did not have an original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).

Chief Election Commissioner AJK Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made for the elections. "We have made foolproof arrangements. No bogus votes will be cast," he said.

He said that overall polling in the elections held in free fair and peaceful manner except few minor unpleasant incidents reported at some polling stations in different constituencies.

The CEC continued that those involved in minor unpleasant incidents at few of the polling stations were booked on the spot and punitive action has been initiated against the perpetrators.

He further said that the Election Commission made adequate arrangements coupled with every possible facility to the voters to exercise their right of franchise in absolutely free fair and peaceful environment.

423 candidates contested

People directly elected representatives on 41 general seats, for which 423 candidates contested.

People of AJK directly elected 29 candidates, whereas, 12 representatives were chosen by Kashmiris living in Pakistan.

In the polls, 26 political parties and independent candidates participated.

There are also eight Special Seats for the AJK Assembly, having five seats reserved for women, one for technocrat, one for Ulema-e-Mushaikh (religious scholar), and one for overseas Pakistanis.

A total of 274,586 voters were registered for AJK general elections.

The number of Kashmiri voters residing in Pakistan is 438,884. A total of 5,427 polling stations were set up for the voters, out of which 1500 were declared as sensitive.

Polling also kicked off for the two AJKLA seats in Sindh, LA-30 and the LA-36.

Political parties mainly focused on Karachi because most voters of the two constituencies live in the city. There were 22 candidates contesting for the two seats. At least 49 polling stations were set up in different parts of the city.