Muzaffarabad (Web Desk): The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took the lead in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, winning 14 of the 19 seats contested, according to unofficial and provisional results.
The second round of voting was conducted on Sunday across 19 of the 21 constituencies, covering seven constituencies in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. Polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II was deferred until Tuesday because of unfavourable weather conditions.
Based on the unofficial count, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured five seats.
In Neelum Valley, PML-N candidate Shah Ghulam Qadir claimed victory in LA-25 Neelum-I after receiving 19,201 votes, defeating PPP's Mian Abdul Waheed, who polled 13,596 votes.
Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) AJK President Tanveer Ilyas finished with 3,348 votes. In LA-26 Neelum-II, however, PPP's Mian Abdul Waheed emerged victorious with 16,524 votes, while Shah Ghulam Qadir came in second with 15,494 votes.
In Muzaffarabad Division, PPP's Sardar Mukhtar Khan captured LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III with 19,792 votes, while PML-N's Barrister Iftikhar Ali Gilani finished as runner-up with 16,413 votes.
PML-N's Mustafa Bashir Abbasi won LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV after securing 17,749 votes, defeating PPP's Mubashir Munir Awan, who received 11,947 votes.
PML-N candidate Saqib Majeed Raja comfortably retained LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V with 32,511 votes, while PPP's Chaudhry Latif Akbar secured 23,957 votes. Former AJK Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider also held onto LA-32 Muzaffarabad-VI for PML-N by polling 21,156 votes, defeating PPP's Sahibzada Muhammad Ashfaq Zafar, who managed 19,010 votes. Meanwhile, PPP's Diwan Ali Khan Qamar Chughtai won LA-33 Muzaffarabad-VII with 25,469 votes, ahead of PML-N's Mian Muhammad Rashid, who received 21,175 votes.
PML-N dominated the refugee constituencies, with Nasir Hussain Dar winning LA-34 Jammu-I, Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail taking LA-35 Jammu-II, Muhammad Ahsan Raza securing LA-36 Jammu-III, Maryam Javed emerging victorious in LA-37 Jammu-IV, Zeeshan Ali claiming LA-38 Jammu-V, Raja Muhammad Siddique winning LA-39 Jammu-VI, Muhammad Amir Shah capturing LA-41 Kashmir Valley-II, Syed Shaukat Ali Shah prevailing in LA-42 Kashmir Valley-III, Muhammad Yaseen Lone winning LA-43 Kashmir Valley-IV, and Muhammad Ahmad Raza Qadri securing LA-44 Kashmir Valley-V.
PPP recorded additional victories in LA-40 Kashmir Valley-I, where Amir Abdul Ghaffar received 2,914 votes, and LA-45 Kashmir Valley-VI, where Abdul Majeed Khan won with 3,448 votes.
The Returning Officer later issued formal notifications for the two Neelum Valley constituencies. Shah Ghulam Qadir was officially declared the successful candidate from LA-25 Neelum-I with 19,201 votes, while Mian Abdul Waheed was confirmed as the returned candidate from LA-26 Neelum-II after securing 16,524 votes. Election officials continued finalising results and issuing notifications as the counting process concluded in the announced constituencies.
Following the announcement of the results, the PPP rejected the electoral exercise, alleging widespread rigging during the second phase of polling. Senior PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf described the outcome as a "fake mandate" and insisted that elections lacking transparency and fairness could not be accepted.
He accused the AJK Election Commission of ignoring complaints lodged by the party and alleged that acting AJK President Chaudhry Latif Akbar was assaulted by PML-N supporters. Ashraf also raised concerns over polling arrangements in several constituencies and held the AJK Chief Election Commissioner responsible for the situation.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the killing of party worker Mushtaq Shah in LA-31 and offered his condolences to the bereaved family.
PML-N leaders firmly rejected the allegations of electoral manipulation and denied claims that Chaudhry Latif Akbar and MNA Salahuddin Junejo had been attacked during the polling process.
Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the PPP had begun accusing the government of rigging even before polling had ended, adding that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had been given incorrect information.