ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Wednesday said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has won 24 seats after the completion of the three phases of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election, with its total strength expected to rise to 30 after the allocation of reserved seats.
In a video statement shared on social media, Chaudhry said the PML-N had secured a clear lead so far in three phases of the electoral process in AJK.
According to the federal minister, the party is expected to secure three additional reserved seats, including seats reserved for women, overseas Pakistanis, technocrats, and religious scholars, under the applicable electoral formula. He said the party’s total strength would consequently reach 30 seats.
Tariq Fazal added that a session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly would be convened next week, during which the newly elected members would take the oath and elections for the reserved seats would also be held.
He said the election of the Speaker and Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir would also be completed this week, adding that a strong and stable government was being formed in the region and was necessary in the prevailing circumstances.
The federal minister described the AJK elections as overall clean, transparent and credible, saying a zero-tolerance policy had been adopted against malpractice and electoral irregularities.
Chaudhry further added that the person who took the ballot box from the polling station in LA-6 Mirpur was immediately arrested as an example of action taken against irregularities during the electoral process.
The Federal Minister also congratulated the administration, law enforcement agencies, and the Election Commission for conducting transparent elections.
Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that a complaint regarding rigging has been filed by PML-N candidate Mohsin Aziz in Haveli, which should be investigated transparently.
He expressed hope that the Election Commission would review all complaints related to the Haveli constituency on merit and that the concerns raised regarding the election process would be appropriately addressed.
