PML-N secures lead in first phase of Azad Kashmir general elections

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has emerged as the leading party in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly general elections, securing seven seats across 13 constituencies in the Mirpur Division. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) finished as the runner-up with three seats, while counting remains underway for the remaining constituencies, including LA-6 Bhimber, LA-10 Kotli, and LA-12.

In the declared unofficial results for the Mirpur district constituencies, PPP candidate Qasim Majeed won LA-2 Mirpur-II with 12,904 votes, defeating PML-N’s Azeem Bakhsh Chaudhry, who received 8,182 votes. PPP also claimed LA-3 Mirpur-III, where Chaudhry Yasir Sultan secured 11,676 votes against PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed with 9,832 votes. However, PML-N captured LA-1 Mirpur-I, with Azhar Sadiq securing 15,427 votes over PPP’s Muhammad Afsar Shahid with 9,832 votes, as well as LA-4 Mirpur-IV, where Rukhsar Ahmed won with 20,172 votes over PPP’s Chaudhry Sohaib Arshad with 13,865 votes.

In the Bhimber district, PML-N’s Waqar Ahmed Noor narrowly won LA-5 Bhimber-I with 29,875 votes against PPP’s Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf, who polled 29,143 votes. PML-N candidate Chaudhry Tariq Farooq secured LA-7 Bhimber-III with 35,490 votes, defeating independent candidate Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who received 25,100 votes.

Across the Kotli district, PPP’s Zafar Iqbal Malik took LA-8 Kotli-I with 19,535 votes over PML-N’s Malik Muhammad Nawaz Khan with 11,966 votes. PML-N secured the remaining declared Kotli seats, with Umair Niazi winning LA-9 Kotli-II with 31,080 votes against PPP’s Javed Iqbal Budhanvi with 28,509 votes; Muhammad Asif taking LA-11 Kotli-IV with 26,190 votes over PPP’s Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq with 21,751 votes and Raja Ayaz Ahmed Khan winning LA-13 Kotli-VI with 21,856 votes, defeating Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party candidate Nisar Ansar Abdali, who received 15,859 votes. Polling throughout the division was reported as largely peaceful, with high voter turnout despite minor isolated disruptions.