Nawaz sweeps AJK polls, Imran takes a beating

MUZAFFARABAD/LAHORE, KARACHI: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday made a clean sweep in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections, leaving rival parties streets behind according to unofficial results.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan congratulated the PML-N on its victory. A total of 5,427 polling stations were set up out of which 1,500 were declared sensitive.

Polling for 41 constituencies started at 8:00 am and continued till 5:00 pm without a break. At least, 423 candidates ran for 41 seats. The main contenders were the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

The PML-N secured 31 seats, the Muslim Conference three, the PPP and PTI two each and the JKPP one, while an independent candidate too emerged victorious.

Voter turnout remained low. Locals claimed that the hot weather had affected the turnout. In Bagh district, polling was suspended after three political workers were injured in a clash.  In Muzaffarabad, the workers of two political parties clashed due to which polling was stopped.

In LA-5, SC judge Justice Saeed Akram was stopped from casting his vote. Presiding Officer Prof. Azizur Rehman said the judge was stopped from casting his voting as he did not have his original Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC).

AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made for the elections. 

He said overall polling was held in a free, fair and peaceful manner except for a few minor unpleasant incidents reported at some polling stations.

The CEC said those involved in the minor incidents at a few polling stations would be punished as per the law.

He said the Election Commission had made adequate arrangements to enable voters to exercise their right to vote in a free, fair and peaceful environment.

Twenty six political parties and independent candidates participated in the polls, .

There are also eight special seats for the AJK Assembly, with five seats reserved for women, one for a technocrat, one for Ulema/Mushaikh and one for overseas Pakistanis.

The number of Kashmiri voters residing in Pakistan is 438,884.  Polling also kicked off for the two AJKLA seats in Sindh, LA-30 and the LA-36.

Political parties mainly focused on Karachi because most voters of the two constituencies live in the city. 

There were 22 candidates contesting for the two seats. At least 49 polling stations were set up in different parts of the city.

Besides incumbent Prime Minister Ch Abdul Majeed, two former prime ministers — Raja Farooq Haider and Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan — as well as Sardar Khalid Ibrahim and journalist-cum politician Mushtaq Minhaswon the seats. 

On the other hand, another former prime minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood, former speaker Sardar Ghulam Saddiq and Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin met defeat.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will arrive in Muzaffarabad on Friday (today) to thank Kashmiris for supporting his party in the election, his spokesperson said. 

Counting was underway for the 10th general election for 41 seats of the Legislative Assembly. 

Chief Election Commissioner Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal announced the first result of LA-39 Kashmir Valley IV. 

Asad Aleem Shah of PML-N secured 1,026 votes and was declared successful. 

Raja Nisar Ahmad of PML-N succeeded from LA-12 Kotli-5 with over 16,000 votes against Muhammad Matloob Inqilabi of PPP with over 11,000 votes.

The results received till 2:23am are as follows,

Sardar Ateeq of Muslim Conference (MC) won LA-13 seat with a lead of 19,086 votes, Ghulam Mohiudeen of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) won LA-37 seat from Hamza Shahbaz’s seat in Lahore with a lead of 1,689 votes, Syed Shaukat Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz won LA-38 election with a lead of 1,218 votes, Asad Aleem Shah of PML-N won LA-39 election with a lead of 1,026 votes, Abdul Majid Khan of PTI won LA-41 election with 2,401 votes, Ahmad Raza Qadri of PML-N won LA-40 Valley 4 seat, Yasir Rashid of PML-N was leading in LA-33 Narowal with 27,195 votes, Chaudhry Ismail of PML-N was leading in LA-31 Gujranwala, Dr. Muzaffar of PML-N was leading with 9,701 votes in LA-29, Sardar Farooq Sikandar of PML-N won LA-9 seat with 28,595 votes, Sardar Farooq Tahir of PML-N was leading in LA-22 with 25,723 votes, Shah Ghulam Qadir of PML N won LA-23 seat with 20,120 votes, Chaudhry Rukhsaar of PML-N won LA-4 seat, Khalid Ibrahim of JKPP won LA-19 seat with 26,425 votes, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed of PPP won LA-2 seat.