MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the dominant force in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections across Mirpur Division, winning eight of the 13 constituencies, according to unofficial and preliminary results.
Polling was held in 13 constituencies across Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. Voting officially ended at 5:00 p.m., with election authorities allowing an additional hour for voters already present at polling stations to cast their ballots.
According to the unofficial results, PML-N secured victories in LA-1 Mirpur-1, LA-4 Mirpur-4, LA-5 Bhimber-1, LA-7 Bhimber-3, LA-9 Kotli-2, LA-11 Kotli-4, LA-12 Kotli-5, and LA-13 Kotli-6.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won LA-2 Mirpur-2, LA-3 Mirpur-3, and LA-8 Kotli-1, while LA-6 Bhimber-2 and LA-10 Kotli-3 remained undecided, with partial vote counts showing PML-N and PPP candidates leading respectively.
In LA-1 Mirpur-1, PML-N’s Azhar Sadiq defeated PPP’s Muhammad Afser Shahid with 15,427 votes against 9,832.
PPP’s Qasim Majeed claimed victory in LA-2 Mirpur-2 with 12,904 votes, while Chaudhry Yasar Sultan of PPP won LA-3 Mirpur-3 with 11,676 votes.
PML-N’s Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed secured a comfortable win in LA-4 Mirpur-4, polling 20,172 votes.
In LA-5 Bhimber-1, PML-N candidate Waqar Ahmed Noor narrowly defeated PPP’s Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf by securing 29,875 votes against 29,143.
Partial results from LA-6 Bhimber-2 showed PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Razaq leading after results from 100 of 195 polling stations.
Veteran PML-N leader Chaudhry Tariq Farooq won LA-7 Bhimber-3, defeating independent candidate Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq.
PPP’s Zafar Iqbal Malik emerged victorious in LA-8 Kotli-1, while PML-N’s Umair Naeem won LA-9 Kotli-2.
In LA-10 Kotli-3, PPP’s Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin was leading on partial results after counting at 36 of the 169 polling stations.
PML-N also secured victories in LA-11 Kotli-4, LA-12 Kotli-5, and LA-13 Kotli-6, further strengthening its position in Mirpur Division.
The results remain unofficial and are subject to formal confirmation by the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
