The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the single largest party with 229 seats in the second phase of the local elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Aaj News reported.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Sunday it had received the results of 708 out of 787 seats. The PTI was in first place with 229 seats, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was second with 129 and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) third with 104, while independent candidates won 199 seats.

The Jammu and Kashmir People's Party secured 28 seats and the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) won seven.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, and Jamaat-e-Islami won four seats each, with 79 seats pending the results announcement.

The ECP said that in the second phase of LG polls on Saturday, over 1.16 million citizens voted in all four districts of the Poonch division, including Rawalakot, Sudhanoti, Bagh, and Haveli.

At least 3,500 armed troops of civil forces, including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, assisted the local civil administration and the AJK police in ensuring the holding of the civic polls in a free, fair, and peaceful manner.

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

The first phase of the LG elections was held on November 27 in three districts of the Muzaffarabad division while the third phase will be held in three districts of the southern Mirpur division, including Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber, on December 8.