Kashmir election: PTI wins three more reserved seats, bags 32 in AJK Legislative Assembly

• PTI now has clear majority in AJK Legislative Assembly.
• The assembly has a total of 53 seats.
• Prime minister to be elected on August 4.

MUZAFFARABAD: PTI on Monday secured three more reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, taking its total seats to 32.

The AJK Legislative Assembly consists of 53 seats, and to pass lawmaking, 27 votes are required — and now the PTI has a clear majority.

PPP has obtained a total of 12 seats, PML-N seven, and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party and All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference secured one each.

Today, polling was held at Legislative Assembly Hall on three seats reserved for technocrats, overseas Kashmiris, and ulema-o-mashaikh. PTI won all three seats, securing 27 votes for each candidate.

PTI’s Raffique Nayar was elected on the technocrat's seat, Muhammad Iqbal on the seat reserved for overseas Kashmiris, and Maulana Mazhar Saeed on the ulema-o-mashaikh seat.

AJK President Sardar Masood Khan has summoned the legislation Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday) during which the newly-elected members will be sworn in.

After that, the speaker and deputy speaker will be elected while the leader of the house (prime minister) will be elected the next day (August 4).

After the formation of the government, Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to address AJK Legislative Assembly on August 5, the day when India in 2019 abrogated the special status of occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI bags three reserved seats for women

A day earlier, PTI had extended its lead in the AJK Legislative Assembly after winning three women's reserved seats, while PPP and PML-N were able to bag one each.

All five candidates won unopposed.

From PTI Imtiaz Naseem, Sabeha Sadique, Kausar Taqdees Gilani emerged victorious, while from PPP Nabila Ayub and from PML-N Nasaran Abbasi were the winning candidates.

A total of 10 candidates had submitted their nomination papers for the reserved seats, however, five of them withdrew their names later.

PTI prevails in LA-16

On July 29, PTI won the LA-16 Bagh 3 seat of the AJKLA, whose results were withheld for re-polling on four polling stations, after clashes brought polling to a halt on July 25.

According to unofficial results, PTI candidate Sardar Mir Akbar bagged 23,561 votes, whereas PPP's Sardar Qamaruz Zaman obtained 23,267 votes — a difference of a mere 294 votes.

Of the total 939 votes cast by government employees, PTI received 396, whereas PPP got 421.

In the polls on July 25, PTI emerged as the largest winner with 25 seats, PPP came in second place with 11, while PML-N won six seats.