Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir – Web Desk: Unofficial and preliminary results from the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) legislative assembly elections show the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leading with 7 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 3 seats out of 10 constituencies in the Mirpur division .
Polling and Turnout
Polling was held across 13 constituencies in Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts, with voting extended by one hour until 6 PM to accommodate voters. A total of 14,01,439 registered voters—including 725,118 men and 675,628 women—were eligible to cast their ballots across 2,454 polling stations .
Key Constituency Results
- LA-1 Mirpur-I: PML-N’s Azhar Sadiq won with 15,427 votes.
- LA-2 Mirpur-II: PPP’s Qasim Majeed secured victory with 12,904 votes.
- LA-3 Mirpur-III: PPP’s Chaudhry Yasir Sultan won with 11,676 votes.
- LA-4 Mirpur-IV: PML-N’s Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed won with 20,172 votes.
- LA-7 Bhimber-III: PML-N’s Chaudhry Tariq Farooq won with 35,490 votes.
- LA-8 Kotli-I: PPP’s Zafar Iqbal Malik won with 19,535 votes.
- LA-9 Kotli-II: PML-N’s Umer Naeem won with 31,080 votes.
- LA-11 Kotli-IV: PML-N’s Muhammad Asif won with 26,190 votes.
- LA-12 Kotli-V: PML-N’s Muhammad Rayat Khan won with 35,168 votes.
- LA-13 Kotli-VI: PML-N’s Raja Ayaz Ahmed Khan won with 21,856 votes .
Violence and Controversies
A PPP worker, Mukhtar Younis, was killed and three others injured in a clash between PPP and PML-N workers in the Nakyal area. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the incident, accusing PML-N candidate Sardar Umer Naeem of involvement in the firing .
Additionally, an Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party candidate was arrested for allegedly taking ballot boxes from four polling stations. Two presiding officers were also arrested for violating the code of conduct by staying at a private residence instead of their assigned polling stations .
Reactions from Party Leaders
Punjab Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb expressed confidence in PML-N’s prospects in the next phase on August 2 in Muzaffarabad, stating that Mirpur’s results reflect the people’s trust in PML-N leadership . PPP leaders demanded repolling at several polling stations in LA-8 Kotli-I, alleging irregularities and the hostage-taking of polling agents .
