PM Khan thanks AJK people after PTI’s election win

ISLAMABAD/ Muzaffarabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday thanked the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) for “placing their trust in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) through their votes” as it emerged as the largest party in the AJK Legislative Assembly’s elections.

The PTI won 25 of the 45 seats which were up for grabs in the July 25 elections, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) managed to secure 11 and 6 seats, respectively, according to results. Both the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP) and the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) bagged one seat each. However, the result of the LA-16 Bagh constituency was withheld. Both the PML-N and the PPP rejected the election results. PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Monday alleged the PTI won the AJK polls through rigging.

Maryam praised the party workers for “putting up a good fight” despite “violence and rigging by PTI''. The PML-N leader tweeted she had not accepted the results and would never accept them. “I did not accept the 2018 results either or acknowledge this fake government,” she added. She lauded the party workers and voters. “What response we will come up with for this shameless rigging, is a matter that the party will decide soon, InshaAllah.” While taking to Twitter, Bilawal claimed the election commission had failed to take action against the PTI for “violating electoral rules”.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan pledged on Monday the government would focus on bringing the people out of poverty through Ehsaas and Kamyab Pakistan programmes; and establish accountability and transparency in governance.

Khan further said as an “ambassador for Kashmir”, he would continue to raise his voice on all international forums, including the United Nations to ensure the world community fulfilled its commitment of self-determination to the Kashmiri people through a UN-sponsored plebiscite. He also congratulated the successful candidates of the PTI. Two PTI workers were killed in a clash during polling on Sunday after supporters of rival parties clashed in a constituency, media reported.

Among the winners in the AJK elections are: Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, Khawaja Ahmed Farooq, Sardar Tanvir Ilyas, Diwan Khan Chughtai, Chaudhry Arshad and Ch Anwar-ul-Haq. PML-N candidates Raja Farooq Haider and Shah Ghulam Qadir also retained their seats.

Ex-prime minister of the AJK and chief of AJKMC Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan has also been declared successful on LA-14 Bagh.Addressing a news conference in Muzaffarabad on Monday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Abdul Rasheed Sulehria said the results of 44 seats out of 45 were announced by the commission as provided by the returning officers (ROs) concerned. He, however, added the result on one seat LA- 16 Bagh III was withheld as the RO reported that polling on four polling stations was not conducted due to clashes between the rival groups.

Sulehria said he did not receive even a single complaint by any candidate about any irregularity or rigging. He said polling at the remaining four polling stations of LA-16 Bagh III, would be conducted before July 29.

He said the schedule for election on eight reserved seats would be announced after the announcement of result of one remaining seat. After completion of the house; the President would summon the legislative assembly for oath taking of newly elected members and formation of government afterward, he added.

Sulehria said over 1.99 million voters out of 3.22 million exercised their right to vote in the elections which was 62 per cent of the total registered voters.According to the election commission data, the PTI became the largest party in term of secured votes 613,590 (32 per cent) followed by PML-N with 491,091 (25 percent) votes and PPP 349,095 (18 per cent) votes but in terms of seats, the PPP stood as the second largest party by securing 11 seats.

Meanwhile, Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Affairs Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, told a news conference on Monday afternoon that the forthcoming PTI government would fulfill promises made to Kashmiris during the election campaign.

He said the PTI government would announce a complete package at par with GB, based on transport infrastructure development, tourism and uplift of poor people. Flanked by Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, he said the PTI had provided opportunity to new party workers to contest AJK elections so that they could highlight the case of Kashmir effectively after becoming members of the legislative assembly.

On the contrary, he said both the PML-N and the PPP opted for old horses, which increased a sense of deprivation among the locals. To a query, Gandapur said Prime Minister Khan would nominate the AJK Prime Minister and President after consultation with party leadership. “The AJK Election Commission had banned my entry in Kashmir despite the fact that my stance was not harsher than PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz ,” he said in response to another question. “We respect the election commission and will accept the decision whatever it is,” he added.