PML-N secures simple majority to form govt in AJK, says Rana Sanaullah

Adviser to Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan on Monday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured a simple majority to form government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Addressing a news conference alongside Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam in Islamabad, Sanaullah said the party has so far won twenty-three of the forty-five seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly elections.

“The PML-N secured four of the seven seats contested in the Muzaffarabad Division, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidates won on three seats. On the twelve refugee seats, the PML-N emerged victorious on ten, while the PPP secured two,” he stated.

The adviser on political affairs further said the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner.

Minister for Kashmir Affairs Muqam said the elections in AJK was the triumph of democracy. He said that the commitments made with the people of AJK for the progress and development of the territory would be fulfilled.

In a press statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday congratulated PML-N Supreme Leader Nawaz Sharif and the party’s successful candidates on their victory in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections.

PM Shehbaz extended his heartfelt congratulations to all winning PML-N candidates, attributing the electoral success to Nawaz’s leadership and the hard work of the entire party team.

The prime minister stated that the election victory reflects the trust of the people of Azad Kashmir in PML-N’s policies. Reaffirming the party’s commitment, he noted that the progress, prosperity, and welfare of the people of AJK remain top priorities.

He also commended the active participation of all political parties in the second phase of the elections, emphasizing that competitive democratic engagement strengthens democratic processes in the region.

PML-N maintains lead

As per unofficial and unconfirmed results, PML-N held a clear lead over its rivals, while PPP stood in second place, Aaj News reported earlier on Monday.

The Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly comprises a total of 53 seats. Out of these, nearly 4.45 million local citizens residing within Azad Kashmir vote for 33 seats. Eight seats are reserved for women, technocrats, and overseas Kashmiris, while 12 seats are designated for Kashmiri refugees residing in various cities across Pakistan, such as Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, and Rawalpindi, where they elect their representatives.

On July 2, voting took place for 8 seats in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee seats in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections.

Announcing the results, the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Kashmir stated that PML-N secured victory on 13 seats out of these, while PPP bagged 5 seats.

According to unofficial results, PML-N’s Shah Ghulam Qadir emerged victorious from LA-25, while PML-N’s Mustafa Bashir Abbasi won from LA-30 and senior PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider claimed victory from LA-32.

Additionally, PML-N’s Nasir Hussain Dar from LA-34, Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail from LA-35, Muhammad Ahsan Raza from LA-36, and Maryam Javed from LA-37 were declared successful.

Continuing PML-N’s winning streak, Zeeshan Ali from LA-38, Raja Muhammad Siddique from LA-39, Muhammad Aamir Shah from LA-41, Syed Shaukat Ali Shah from LA-42, Muhammad Yaseen Lone from LA-43, and Muhammad Ahmad Raza Qadri from LA-44 also won their respective seats according to unconfirmed results.

On the other hand, the Pakistan Peoples Party secured 5 key constituencies.

According to unofficial results, PPP’s Mian Abdul Waheed won from LA-26, while Sardar Mukhtar Khan succeeded from LA-29. Furthermore, PPP’s Dewan Ali Khan from LA-33, Aamir Ghaffar Lone from LA-40, and Abdul Majid Khan from LA-45 registered notable victories.

However, there were certain polling areas in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections where no votes were cast at all.

In the first phase, where polling took place for a total of 13 seats in the Mirpur Division, PML-N demonstrated an impressive performance by winning 9 seats, while PPP managed to secure 4 seats. The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) failed to secure any seat in this electoral contest.

Thus, according to the overall results received so far, PML-N maintains its lead.