The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has postponed its decision after concluding hearings on a recount petition that alleges electoral fraud in LA-17 Haveli, the home constituency of Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.
The Chief Election Commissioner of AJK presided over the arguments concerning the petition filed by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz. The petition challenged the integrity of Form 24 and disputed the officially declared results, with legal representatives from both sides presenting their cases during the recount proceedings.
In a significant development, the Election Commission had previously annulled a contested Form 26 issued by the returning officer for Haveli on August 11. Additionally, it declared a Form 27, circulated on social media by Rathore and PPP leaders, to be counterfeit.
The commission accepted Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz’s petition for formal hearing and summoned both Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and Aziz to appear in person to present their arguments.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of rigging since the initial phase of polling in the Mirpur division, submitting formal complaints to the Election Commission. Despite these allegations, PML-N leaders such as Rana Sanaullah, Attaullah Tarar, and Tariq Fazal Chaudhry have consistently maintained that the elections have been free, fair, and transparent.
Notably, within LA-17, PML-N’s own candidate has made serious accusations of rigging against the PPP candidate and Prime Minister Faisal Rathore, taking the matter to the Election Commission. This claim has yet to be publicly addressed by the PML-N leadership.
The AJK elections are being conducted in three phases, with PML-N currently leading in the number of seats won, followed by the PPP in second place.
