LG polls second phase: PTI leads in two districts of Poonch division

By News Desk
December 05, 2022
A representational image shows a man casting his vote during an election in Pakistan. — AFP/File

MUZAFFARABAD: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) beat its opponents in Bagh and Sudhnoti districts, and trailed behind them in Poonch and Haveli districts of Poonch Division, where polling was held on Saturday in the second phase of local government (LG) elections.

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According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the ruling coalition won 233 seats, while the opposition parties won 276, with 79 seats pending result announcement. The PTI stood in the first place with 229 seats in Poonch Division, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) second with 129 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) third with 104 seats. The Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party was in the fourth place with 28 seats and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) came fifth with seven seats. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and Jamaat-e-Islami won four seats each while independent candidates bagged 199 seats.

According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the results of 708 out of 787 seats have been received so far.

The results showed that the PTI was set to get its mayor elected in Bagh, where it had clinched nine of the 15 seats of municipal corporation, followed by four of independents and two of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The PTI was also poised to get its councillor elected as Bagh district council chairman, as it had grabbed around 12 of the total 28 seats, followed by four of Muslim Conference (MC), three of PPP, two each by Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) and independents and one by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI-AJK). The results of four seats were awaited till the filing of the report.

In Sudhnoti district, the PTI was set to elect heads of district council as well as the three urban councils.

According to unofficial results, of the 19 seats of Sudhnoti district council, the PTI bagged 11 seats, followed by four of PMLN, two by independents and one by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-AJK). The result of one seat was awaited.

In the district headquarters municipality, the PTI bagged five of eight seats followed by two of independents and one of PMLN.

In Haveli district, the PMLN bagged six of 12 district council seats, followed by four of PPP and one of the PTI. Result of one seat was not clear.

The largest Poonch district has seen a split mandate. In the 22-member Rawalakot municipal corporation, the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) clinched seven seats, followed by four of PPP, three each of PMLN and PTI, and five of independents.

In the 29-member Poonch district council, the PTI and PMLN bagged eight seats each, followed by six of PPP, five of JKPP and two of independents.

Earlier, though the balloting was peaceful, sporadic incidents of violence were reported from some areas, with less than a dozen minor casualties, officials said.

In the second phase of LG polls on Saturday, over 1.16 million citizens voted in all the four districts of the Poonch Division, including Rawalakot, Sudhanoti, Bagh and Haveli.

The AJK LG elections are being held in three phases on political party basis. However, independent candidates are also in the run to contest the polls and get into the civic bodies of all categories across the liberated territory.

The polling in the third and last phase of the elections will be held in all the three districts of Mirpur Division, including Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber, on Dec 8.

A total of 1.2 million registered voters will exercise their right to vote. Kotli district has 563,016 registered voters, Mirpur district 366,043, and Bhimber district 303,020.

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