PML-N secures 25 seats as AJK poll process concludes

MUZAFFARABAD:

The electoral process for the 2026 general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir concluded on Saturday with the completion of polling and announcement of results in the two remaining constituencies of Bagh, with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) securing one seat each.

With the Bagh results, the PML-N has emerged as the largest parliamentary force in the AJK Legislative Assembly with 25 seats, while the PPP stands second with 12 seats.

The final phase of polling was completed following re-polling at 23 polling stations in LA-15 Bagh-II and LA-16 Bagh-III, bringing the main electoral process across AJK to an end.

In LA-15 Central Bagh, PPP candidate Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar defeated PML-N's Mushtaq Minhas after re-polling was held at nine polling stations. Zia-ul-Qamar won and got 17,118 votes, while PML-N managed only 15,227 and lost the election by 1,891 votes.

In LA-16 Eastern Bagh, PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar Khan secured 20,796 votes against PPP's Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman, who polled 16,963 votes. Mir Akbar won by 3,833 votes.

The outcome further strengthened the PML-N's position in the AJK assembly and placed it in a strong position to form the next government. The party secured the largest number of directly elected seats across the three-phase election, while the PPP retained its position as the principal opposition force.

The PML-N is also expected to gain six additional seats reserved for women and special categories, including seats for Ulema-o-Mashaikh, overseas Kashmiris and technocrats, further increasing its strength in the assembly.

The 2026 elections were conducted in three phases across AJK. The PML-N maintained a strong electoral performance throughout the process, winning a majority of the directly contested seats, while the PPP secured several important constituencies and maintained a significant parliamentary presence.

The victories of Sardar Zia-ul-Qamar and Sardar Mir Akbar Khan gave the PPP and PML-N one seat each from the final two constituencies awaiting completion of polling.

With 25 seats currently secured, the PML-N enjoys a clear advantage in the race to form the government. The party's expected gains from reserved and special seats are likely to further consolidate its parliamentary position.

The PPP, with 12 seats, is set to emerge as the main opposition force in the new AJK assembly, while the remaining political groups and independent members are expected to assume significance as the process of government formation gets underway.

Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Saturday, by a 2-1 majority, rejected two petitions challenging the victory of the region's Prime Minister, Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, in LA-17 (Haveli).

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal and Senior Member Muhammad Ahsen dismissed the petitions filed separately by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, stating that the disputes involved factual questions that could appropriately be resolved through an election petition before an Election Tribunal.

Member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, however, dissented in both cases and directed the returning officer (RO) to recompile the results of the disputed polling stations based on Forms-24 prepared by presiding officers (POs) and supplied to polling agents at the polling stations.

The majority view prevailed, and Rathore's election notification remained intact. Under the applicable law, the majority decision prevails in the event of a difference of opinion among commission members.

On Friday night, the commission issued the formal notification declaring Rathore the returned candidate from LA-17 and Sajid Iqbal Abbasi from LA-14.

The PML-N's Aziz alleged that there were discrepancies between the results prepared by the RO and Forms-24 supplied to his polling agents at 21 polling stations.

He added that 1,133 votes had been allegedly deducted from his tally while 3,095 votes were added to Rathore's tally through forged and fabricated statements of count.

He further alleged that polling had not been conducted at stations 168 and 173 and sought, among other reliefs, a re-compilation of results according to the original Forms-24 and recounting of votes.

The RO rejected the allegations, saying polling had continued without interruption from 8am to 5pm on August 10 and that no candidate had lodged any complaint against POs during polling.

He added that the POs brought sealed polling bags and Forms-24 to his office under the security of military personnel and duty magistrates, and that the forms were signed, stamped and untampered.

The results, he stated, were read out to and shown to polling agents and journalists before being consolidated in their presence.

The majority maintained that Section 66(5) of the Elections Act allowed a recount only where the count by a PO had been challenged in writing and the RO was satisfied about the reasonableness of the challenge, or where the commission directed a recount.

It noted that no objection had been raised by Aziz's polling agents when the results were read out and consolidated, and that no contradictory Form-24 had been presented at the time. It also rejected a self-prepared chart produced by the applicant as inadmissible.

The majority further ruled that the allegations did not fall within the scope of Section 9 of the Elections Act (power of the Commission to declare a poll void) and that the disputed matters could be determined through a regular election petition under Section 81 after recording evidence.

It also noted that the returned candidate's notification had already been issued and that the proper course for Aziz was to avail himself of the alternate remedy provided by law.

Gillani, however, took a markedly different view.

In his dissent on Aziz's petition, he said the PML-N candidate's counsel had produced before the commission original Forms-24 supplied to his polling agents at 10 polling stations - Nos 46, 55, 56, 60, 114, 115, 123, 130, 153 and 157 - along with their photocopies.

Gillani said he personally examined the POs' signatures on the Forms-24 supplied to the polling agents and compared them with those submitted to the RO. He concluded that the petitioner's allegation of forgery was "substantiated by the record".

According to his note, the Forms-24 submitted to the RO appeared to have been written by the same person and "in haste", while results for only three of the four candidates in the constituency had been changed.

He consequently allowed Aziz's application and directed the RO to re-compile the results of the 10 identified polling stations, as well as any other polling stations where a clear contradiction existed between the Forms-24 supplied to polling agents and those available with the RO.

The second petition, filed by independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, raised substantially similar allegations.