The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has taken a commanding lead in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, winning 14 out of the 19 seats contested, based on unofficial and unconfirmed results. This phase covered 19 constituencies, including eight seats in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan. Polling in two constituencies, LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, was postponed until Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured five seats in this phase. In the Neelum Valley, PML-N’s Shah Ghulam Qadir won LA-25 Neelum-I with 19,201 votes, defeating PPP’s Mian Abdul Waheed, who received 13,596 votes. Meanwhile, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) AJK chapter President Tanveer Ilyas garnered 3,348 votes in the same constituency. PPP’s Mian Abdul Waheed won LA-26 Neelum-II with 16,524 votes, narrowly beating PML-N’s Khawaja Fayyaz, who obtained 15,494 votes.
In Muzaffarabad Division, PML-N candidates dominated several constituencies. Mustafa Bashir Abbasi won LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV with 17,749 votes against PPP’s Mubashir Munir Awan, who secured 11,947 votes. Saqib Majeed Raja of PML-N captured LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V, receiving 32,511 votes compared to PPP’s Chaudhry Latif Akbar’s 23,957 votes. Former AJK prime minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider retained LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI for PML-N with 21,156 votes, defeating PPP’s Sahibzada Muhammad Ashfaq Zafar, who polled 19,010 votes. However, PPP’s Diwan Ali Khan Qamar Chughtai won LA-33 Muzaffarabad-VII, earning 25,469 votes against PML-N’s Mian Muhammad Rashid, who received 21,175 votes.
Among the refugee constituencies, PML-N candidates secured several victories. Nasir Hussain Dar won LA-34 Jammu-I with 5,682 votes, ahead of independent Raja Riaz Ahmed, who received 2,124 votes. Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail claimed LA-35 Jammu-II with 23,893 votes, defeating independent Sardar Muhammad Ghayas, who obtained 5,868 votes. Muhammad Ahsan Raza of PML-N won LA-36 Jammu-III with 27,218 votes against PPP’s Ahsan Ismail, who secured 12,980 votes. Maryam Javed secured LA-37 Jammu-IV with 28,664 votes, beating Jammu Kashmir United Movement candidate Usman Aleem, who polled 22,827 votes. Raja Muhammad Siddique won LA-39 Jammu-VI with 10,981 votes, defeating PPP’s Chaudhry Fakhar Zaman, who received 5,081 votes.
In the Kashmir Valley, PPP’s Amir Abdul Ghaffar won LA-40 Kashmir Valley-I with 2,914 votes, while IPP candidate Muhammad Saleem Butt secured only 136 votes. PML-N’s Muhammad Amir Shah took LA-41 Kashmir Valley-II with 1,804 votes, narrowly defeating independent Saba Diwan, who received 1,523 votes. PML-N’s Syed Shaukat Ali Shah won LA-42 Kashmir Valley-III with 1,524 votes, beating PPP’s Muhammad Asim Sharif, who gathered 477 votes. PPP’s Javed Butt claimed LA-43 Kashmir Valley-IV with 563 votes. In LA-44 Kashmir Valley-V, PML-N’s Muhammad Ahmad Raza Qadri won with 2,308 votes, while All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC) candidate Mehr-un-Nisa received 740 votes. PPP’s Abdul Majeed Khan secured LA-45 Kashmir Valley-VI with 3,448 votes, defeating AJKMC’s Khawaja Muhammad Dilawar, who polled 823 votes.
Returning officers issued official notifications for the successful candidates in Neelum Valley constituencies, confirming Shah Ghulam Qadir’s election from LA-25 Neelum-I and Mian Abdul Waheed from LA-26 Neelum-II. Election authorities continued consolidating results and issuing notifications as the counting process concluded in declared constituencies.
Meanwhile, the PPP rejected the electoral process, alleging widespread rigging during the second phase of polling. Senior PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf described the election mandate as “fake,” asserting that polls that were neither free nor fair would not be accepted. He accused the AJK Election Commission of neglecting complaints and claimed that acting AJK President Chaudhry Latif Akbar was assaulted by PML-N supporters. Ashraf also criticized polling arrangements in certain areas and held the chief election commissioner responsible for the prevailing situation.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the killing of party worker Mushtaq Shah in LA-31 and extended condolences to his family. In contrast, PML-N leaders dismissed the rigging allegations and denied claims that PPP’s Latif Akbar and MNA Salahuddin Junejo were attacked during polling.
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah stated that the PPP began alleging rigging while voting was still underway and suggested that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been misinformed. He reported only three incidents during polling across AJK. Sanaullah explained that a local dispute occurred when Latif Akbar arrived to vote and alleged that Junejo’s presence at a polling station in LA-31 contributed to another incident. He urged the PPP chairman to seek clarification from his party colleague regarding these matters.
