PML-N wins six reserved seats, set to form AJK govt

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won six of the eight reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly on Monday, taking its total strength in the 53-member house to 32. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won the remaining two seats. The PML-N previously had 25 members in the assembly. With the addition of its reserved-seat members and the support of the Awam Dast-e-Bazu, the party now has the numbers to form the next government in the region. Polling was held for five seats reserved for women and one each for technocrats and ulema and religious scholars. PML-N candidate Barrister Iftikhar Gilani won the technocrat seat with 26 votes, while PPP candidate Zulfiqar Ali received 12 votes. On the seat reserved for ulema and religious scholars, PML-N's Muhammad Mazhar Saeed secured 26 votes, defeating PPP candidate Hafiz Tariq, who received 12 votes. Also Read: New AJK assembly to be sworn in today The PML-N also won three of the five seats reserved for women. Maryam Zaman, Maryam Idrees and Seharish Qamar were elected, while PPP candidates Farzana Yaqoob and Zobia Khurshid Raja won the remaining two seats. The seat reserved for overseas Kashmiris had already been won unopposed by PML-N candidate Abdul Rehman Arain. Following the latest results, the PML-N has 32 members in the assembly, while the PPP has 14. The results mark the next stage in the formation of the government in Azad Kashmir. The assembly will elect its speaker and deputy speaker on Tuesday, while the election for the AJK prime minister is scheduled for August 27. AJK elections conclude The elections were held in three phases under a revised schedule announced by AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on July 21. The first phase covered all 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, while polling in Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies=was held on August 2, followed by Poonch (Rawalakot) Division on August 10. The AJK Election Commission on August 7 announced that polling would proceed as scheduled in four constituencies — Bagh Central, Bagh East, Bagh West and Haveli — while voting in seven constituencies would be postponed due to security concerns. The seven constituencies included five in Poonch district — Rawalakot, Pachhiot, Ali Sojal, Hajira and Abbaspur — and two in Sudhnoti district, Palandri and Baloch. The commission said the decision followed a report by the AJK home secretary highlighting security concerns in parts of the two districts. The postponement came against the backdrop of deteriorating security conditions in Poonch Division, where tensions have persisted since late July. Violent clashes erupted in Rawalakot between police and members of the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) after the group attempted to enter the city during the first phase of the AJK elections. Several videos circulating online showed scenes of unrest, with claims of violence and casualties, though the details could not be independently verified. Read More: AJK premier alleges PPP denied level playing field in recent elections Authorities said JAAC supporters opened fire on police after refusing to disperse, injuring officers, while the group alleged security forces had used excessive force, claiming multiple fatalities among its supporters. Since then, the government has maintained that the law and order situation in parts of Poonch and Sudhnoti remained fragile. The first phase concluded with polling across Mirpur Division, while the second phase covered nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee seats, bringing 21 constituencies to the polls. However, voting in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II was postponed after heavy rain, landslides and adverse weather prevented election staff and polling material from reaching several polling stations. Polling in the two delayed constituencies was held two days later under heightened security arrangements, with the PML-N winning LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and the PPP securing LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, formally bringing the second phase of the elections to a close. The Election Commission subsequently notified the results of all 21 constituencies contested in the second phase.