BAGH, AJK (Kashmir Election): Unofficial and preliminary results for the four seats in Bagh and Haveli during the third phase of Azad Kashmir (AJK) elections show some key political personalities losing the contests.
According to the preliminary results, former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and President of Muslim Conference, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, was defeated in LA 14 Bagh West, and Awami Dast-o-Bazoo Party candidate Sardar Sajid Iqbal won the seat.
From LA 15 Bagh Central, Zia Qamar of Pakistan Peoples’ Party was successful, while former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and President of IPP, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas; and PML-N candidate Mushtaq Minhas faced defeat.
In LA 16 Bagh East, PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar holds the lead, while Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and Peoples Party candidate Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has won from LA 17 Haveli Kahuta.
Third phase of AJK Elections
LA 14 Dhirkot
According to the preliminary and unofficial results from all 214 polling stations of constituency LA 14 Dhirkot, Awami Dast-o-Bazoo Party candidate Sardar Sajid Iqbal succeeded with 40,702 votes, while Muslim Conference candidate and former Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan could secure only 19,542 votes.
Sajid Iqbal defeated Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan by a heavy margin of 21,160 votes.
The defeat of Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan is being termed as the biggest political upset of the recent Azad Kashmir elections. The LA 14 seat had long been considered a political stronghold of the Muslim Conference.
According to electoral information, this seat had remained with the Muslim Conference since 1985, while Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan’s father and renowned Kashmiri leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan also used to win from this constituency.
In the past, various political alliances were formed against Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan in Bagh West, but they could not succeed. Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan won from this constituency with heavy majorities multiple times.
In the recent elections, Sardar Sajid Iqbal adopted a different electoral strategy and defeated the head of the Muslim Conference in his strong political constituency.
According to local sources, Sajid Iqbal has a business in the United Arab Emirates and over the past few years, he supported various development works including roads, schools, and water schemes through personal resources in the constituency, which gained him public popularity.
Following the defeat of Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, the Muslim Conference has also suffered a major political blow. In the previous Azad Kashmir Assembly, the representation of the Muslim Conference was limited only to Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan; however, after his defeat, the party is now out of the assembly.
LA 15 Bagh Central
According to the preliminary and unofficial results from all 181 polling stations of constituency LA 15 Bagh Central, Pakistan Peoples’ Party candidate Zia Qamar won by securing 16,637 votes.
PML-N candidate Mushtaq Minhas remained in second place with 15,015 votes, while Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Brigadier Raja Muhammad Khan remained in third place with over 12,000 votes. Former Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas stood at fourth place.
It is noteworthy that in the previous elections, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas had won from this same constituency by securing over 19,000 votes, but in the by-election held after his disqualification, PPP’s Zia Qamar had won.
LA 16 Bagh East
According to preliminary and unofficial results from 174 out of 186 polling stations of constituency LA 16 Bagh East, PML-N candidate Sardar Mir Akbar is in first place with 18,950 votes.
Pakistan Peoples’ Party candidate Sardar Qamar-uz-Zaman Khan is in second place with 15,750 votes.
Repolling will take place at 12 polling stations in the constituency. According to reports, the polling process was affected due to clashes at some polling stations and voter boycotts at others, after which the Election Commission decided on repolling.
The complete results for constituency LA-16 have been withheld until the completion of repolling, therefore a change in the final result remains possible.
LA-17 Haveli Kahuta
In LA-17 Haveli Kahuta, Prime Minister Faisal Rathore remained successful. According to the preliminary and unofficial results from all 190 polling stations of constituency LA-17 Haveli, Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir and Pakistan Peoples’ Party candidate Faisal Mumtaz Rathore has been successful with 31,839 votes.
PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz remained in second place with 28,975 votes while Tariq Saeed is in third place with 8,295 votes.
According to the results, Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore defeated Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz by a lead of 2,864 votes.
On the other hand, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz has leveled allegations of rigging against Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.
According to sources, PML-N workers have also staged a protest sit-in outside the returning officer’s office.
