MUZAFFARABAD, Jul 25 (APP): The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) clinched 26 seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (AJKLA) elections, leaving its arch-rivals far behind by a huge gap, and in a very comfortable position to form a government.
According to the unconfirmed and unofficial results by the Election Commission of the AJK, of the 45 seats, the PTI won 26 seats, while its arch-rival and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) managed to get only 6 seats. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) emerged as the second-largest party winning 11 seats.
All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party got one seat each. After the repolling in one polling station, the result of LA-XVI BAGH-III was announced. The voter turnout was 58%.
As per the available details, PTI candidate Javed Ahmad Butt won the LA-43 Valley-4 seat by securing 774 votes and defeating his close contender PML-N candidate Naseema Wani who secured 720.
In LA- 41 Valley-2, PTI candidate Dewan Ghulam Mohiuddin clinched victory by securing 2,326 votes against his rival Akram Butt of PML-N managed to get just 741 votes.
In LA-45 Kashmir Valley-6, PTI candidate Abdul Majid Khan retained his seat by securing 1,545 votes against his rival independent candidate Abdul Nasir Khan who secured 718 votes.
In LA- 38 Jammu-6, PTI candidate Akbar Ibrahim Chaudhary won by securing 12.219 votes while PML-N candidate Chaudhary Zeeshan took the second position by securing 7,325 votes.
In LA-3 Mirpur, Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, the candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) has won the election to AJK Legislative Assembly by defeating his nearest rival Ch. Muhammad Saeed of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) by 3147 votes.
In LA-40 Valley-I, PPP’s Amir Abdul Ghafar lone clinched victory by getting 2,348 votes while his closet rival PTI’s candidate Muhammad Saleem But could only secure 796 votes.
In LA- 44 Valley- 5, PMLN candidate Ahmad Raza Qadri won the election by securing 2007 votes against his rival candidate Mehr Un Nisa of the Muslim Conference (MC) who secured 1,163 votes.
The polling, which started at 8 in the morning continued till 5 in the evening without any break, was held to elect 45 legislators of AJK Assembly, 33 from AJK and 12 from all four provinces of Pakistan called ‘refugee seats’, in overall a charged but peaceful environment.
There were over 3.22 million Kashmiri registered voters including 1,752,788 male and 1,468,005 female. Nearly, 6,139 polling stations were established to facilitate the voters.
A total of 587 candidates contested the elections in 33 constituencies of Azad Kashmir districts and 121 candidates on 12 constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in Pakistan.
AJK Election Commission had finalized foolproof arrangements to hold free, fair, and transparent elections in a peaceful manner.
Over 40,000 security personnel including Pak Army, FC, Rangers and police were deployed in all constituencies of AJK to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the polling process.
The Kashmiris living in different areas of Pakistan also exercised their vote to choose their candidates on 12 constituencies meant of Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in various parts of Pakistan.
While talking to media persons in Pind Dadan Khan Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that India was very upset on certain victory of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections.
In today’s elections, the Kashmiris have overwhelmingly voted for the PTI candidates and with the gace of Allah it will form the government, he said.
While addressing a public meeting outside Lal Haveli, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed congratulated the people over the historic victory of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2021 in Rawalpindi and said for the first time, in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Polls, PTI made a historic success.
While addressing a press conferrence in Lahore, Special Assisstant to Chief Minister Punjab Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan said Kashmiris love Imran Khan because he is sincere in their cause.
Talking to APP, AJK Secretary Election Commission (EC) Muhammad Ghazanfar Khan said the General Elections 2021 were held in a free, fair and transparent manner, rejecting the rigging allegations from some quarters. “No complaint has been received from any part of the state in this regard.”
He said no one was allowed to cast vote without the original National Computerized Identity Card (CNIC), adding the EC looked into some complaints on its own and found no truth in them after complete verification. “Alhamdulillah!, the election process was generally peaceful.”
The secretary said that voters inside the polling stations were allowed to cast their votes even after the end of the announced closing time – 5 pm.
He disagreed with the questioner that polling was not allowed in some constituencies due to law and order situation. “We have not received any report regarding the closing of polling at any polling station before the scheduled time.”
He expressed satisfaction over the law and order and appreciated the performance of the police and the Pakistan army for ensuring the peaceful conduct of the elections.
He said the AJK Chief Election Commissioner and EC members had visited all over the AJK to examine arrangements made for holding of the elections in a transparent manner.