In a major development, PTI has clinched victory on 33 seats during the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Local Government (LG) polls.
According to the unofficial and unconfirmed results of the AJK LG polls, PTI candidates won 33 seats while PPP secured victory on 18 seats. PML-N won 14 seats in the AJK LG polls, whereas, seven independent candidates were declared winners.
The ruling PTI in AJK appeared to have lost to its arch-rivals PML-N and PPP in Muzaffarabad district, but was ahead of them in Neelum and Jhelum valley districts, as polling for the first phase of the LG elections in Muzaffarabad division was held on Sunday after a wait of nearly three decades.
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Reacting to PTI’s victory, senior leader and former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry congratulated the party on its success in the first phase of the local body elections.
“Congratulations to Tehreek-e-Insaf Azad Kashmir for its success in the first phase of the local body elections. At this time, Tehreek-e-Insaf is the only party that is in the hearts of the people from the valleys of Kashmir to the Sinangalakh lands of Balochistan and from the green fields of Punjab and Sindh to the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakhtunkhawa. The voice of the nation is very happy!” Fawad Chaudhry said on Twitter.
تحریک انصاف آزاد کشمیر کو بلدیاتی انتخابات کے پہلے مرحلے میں کامیابی پر مبارکباد، اس وقت تحریک انصاف وہ واحد جماعت ہے جو کشمیر کی وادیوں سے بلوچستان کی سننگلاخ زمیں اور پنجاب اور سندہ کے سبزہ زاروں سے گلگت بلتستان اور ہختونخواہ کے پہاڑوں تک عوام کے دل کی آواز ہے بہت مبارک !
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 28, 2022
Supporters of winning candidates took out rallies and processions after the announcement of unconfirmed results in different areas, exploding fire crackers and chanting slogans.
A total of 2716 candidates including 900 independent candidates were in the contest for 595 seats in Muzaffarabad, Neelum Valley, and Hattian Bala district while in the second phase, polling will be conducted in four districts of Poonch Division on December 3.
Meanwhile, the local government elections in the other two divisions of the state Poonch and Mirpur will be held on January 3 and 8 respectively.
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