PML-N candidate challenges result of AJK's LA-17 Haveli-Kahuta constituency

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz has challenged the election results in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) LA-17 Haveli-Kahuta constituency, alleging tampering in Form-24 and seeking a recount of votes.

The third phase, covering Bagh and Haveli, followed polling in the Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions and is expected to influence the balance of power in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJKEC) admitted his application for hearing and summoned the parties for a hearing at 10am on Thursday in Muzaffarabad.

The application was filed before the chief election commissioner through Aziz’s lawyers, Raja Sajjad Advocate and Chaudhry Ghulam Nabi Advocate.

Aziz has also challenged Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to agree to a recount, saying he would quit politics if he failed to win the constituency by a substantial margin after the recount.

READ: Political tensions simmer in AJK's LA-17 Haveli constituency

Reacting to the notification of PPP candidate and AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore’s victory, Aziz alleged that the election result had been altered through manipulation, turning his defeat into a victory for his rival.

“The prime minister who became victorious through Form-27 is turning his defeat into victory,” Aziz claimed, adding that he possessed results compiled by presiding officers from all polling stations showing him winning by a margin of 8,600 votes.

He alleged that there was a “huge difference” between the results available with him and those submitted to the returning officer.

According to Aziz, he had approached the returning officer seeking a recount, but his request was rejected.

He further alleged that the returning officer’s purported partiality had contributed to the deterioration of the peaceful atmosphere in Haveli, asserting that he would not allow what he described as the “theft of his mandate”.

READ MORE: PPP to approach court over alleged AJK poll rigging

The PML-N candidate also alleged that the prime minister remained engaged in securing votes at polling stations throughout the polling day, while armed men allegedly intimidated voters at polling stations.

He claimed that after the rival camp realised it was facing defeat, the result was allegedly altered through tampering in Form-24.

The Election Commission’s decision to hear the recount petition has now brought the disputed LA-17 result into a formal electoral process, with the August 13 hearing likely to determine the next course of action in the constituency.

Meanwhile, District Returning Officer (DRO) Haveli issued the Form-27 and declared Faisal Rathore winner and Mohsin Aziz runner-up. As per Form 27, PPP’s Rathore secured 33872 votes, PML-N's Mohsin Aziz 32, 354 and independent candidate Tariq Saeed 12538 votes.

Following the completion of the first two phases, the PML-N emerged as the largest party with 24 seats, while the PPP became the second-largest parliamentary force with 10 seats.

However, the final composition of the assembly will become clear only after the re-polling and completion of the remaining results.