Azad Kashmir polls: PPP in the lead, followed by PML-N
Vote count on 31 seats complete.
MUZAFFARABAD:
The PPP led with 19 seats after vote count ended in 31 constituencies of Azad Kashmir, followed by the PML-N, which secured eight seats in the legislative assembly polls, official results provided by the local Election Commission showed on Thursday.
One of the seats was bagged by an independent candidate. The vote counting was completed at the district headquarters complexes under strict security. Even though the PPP emerged as the single largest party in the Azad Kashmir elections, it has decided to follow a policy of reconciliation espoused by President Asif Ali Zardari.
“We will invite all parties to join us as (has already been) suggested by the president,” said PPP leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood. The first session of the AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled to take place in the last week of July. The incumbent assembly will complete its tenure on July 23, while notifications for the newly-elected members would be issued after July 9.
Meanwhile, the AJK High Court started the hearing of an application filed against the postponement of elections on two refugee seats in Karachi.
The full bench of the apex court comprised Chief Justice Mustafa Mughal, Justice Muhammad Munir and Justice Tabassum Aftab Alvi, who directed the commission to file a reply “within two hours”. However, the deadline was later extended till Friday morning.(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2011.
The PPP led with 19 seats after vote count ended in 31 constituencies of Azad Kashmir, followed by the PML-N, which secured eight seats in the legislative assembly polls, official results provided by the local Election Commission showed on Thursday.
One of the seats was bagged by an independent candidate. The vote counting was completed at the district headquarters complexes under strict security. Even though the PPP emerged as the single largest party in the Azad Kashmir elections, it has decided to follow a policy of reconciliation espoused by President Asif Ali Zardari.
“We will invite all parties to join us as (has already been) suggested by the president,” said PPP leader Barrister Sultan Mehmood. The first session of the AJK Legislative Assembly is scheduled to take place in the last week of July. The incumbent assembly will complete its tenure on July 23, while notifications for the newly-elected members would be issued after July 9.
Meanwhile, the AJK High Court started the hearing of an application filed against the postponement of elections on two refugee seats in Karachi.
The full bench of the apex court comprised Chief Justice Mustafa Mughal, Justice Muhammad Munir and Justice Tabassum Aftab Alvi, who directed the commission to file a reply “within two hours”. However, the deadline was later extended till Friday morning.(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2011.