MUZAFFARABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has won the elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, winning by a simple majority and will form the next government in the region.
According to unofficial and preliminary results, the PTI is in the lead with 25 seats. The unofficial results showed PPP in second place with 11 seats and PML-N in third place with six seats. Both the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP) and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) have also won one seat each.
Among the winners was PTI’s regional chief Barrister Sultan Mahmood who secured his seventh win in the nine general elections held in LA-3 Mirpur-III since 1985.
Addressing his supporters in Mirpur, Mahmood expressed his gratitude to the Kashmiris for reposing trust in his party. He attributed the PTI’s success to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the “worst-ever performance of the outgoing PML-N government” in AJK.
In Muzaffarabad district, PPP’s regional president Chaudhry Latif Akbar secured a comfortable victory from LA-30 (Muzaffarabad-IV) constituency.
PTI’s central joint secretary Khawaja Farooq Ahmed emerged victorious in a tight competition in the Muzaffarabad with the PML-N and an independent candidate.
AJK Prime Minister and PML-N’s Raja Farooq Haider has won the LA-32 Muzaffarabad seat, defeating PPP’s Sahibzada Muhammad Ishfaq Azhar. Haider reacted strongly over the PTI’s victory and said the Kashmiri people have a mentality of slave for the past 250 years.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said the remarks were distasteful. He said the Kashmiris regarded him and elected him as premier of the region, adding that he was amazed at his statement.
Raja Farooq Haider contested from two constituencies. He lost to PTI’s Deevan Ali Chughtai by a big margin. However, he succeeded in another constituency by a margin of less than 800 votes.
PML-N’s Chaudhry Tariq Farooq lost to PTI’s Chaudhry Anwaarul Haq in Bhimber in a tough competition. In Poonch, PPP’s Sardar Yaqoob Khan won from his home constituency on the outskirts of Rawalakot.
Former prime minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of AJK’s Muslim Conference secured victory by a wide margin from Dhirkot, retaining the seat that has always returned his family. Sardar Hassan Ibrahim of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) also secured his second consecutive victory from Rawalakot city.
