MUZAFFARABAD: Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) prime minister Sardar Atiq lost his ancestral constituency, LA-14 Bagh, in the third election phase.
According to unofficial results, Atiq secured 19,234 votes. Meanwhile, his rival Sajid Iqbal won with 40,474 votes.
The result marks a major setback for the former prime minister in his traditional political stronghold.
Rathore wins Haveli seat amid rigging claim
On the other hand, AJK Prime Minister and PPP candidate Faisal Mumtaz Rathore won LA-17 Haveli with 31,839 votes.
PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz finished second with 28,975 votes. However, Aziz accused Rathore of manipulating the election results.
He demanded a recount, but authorities rejected his request. Consequently, Aziz staged a sit-in outside the returning officer’s office with party workers.
Aziz also told PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that he would quit politics if the recount did not declare him victorious.
Meanwhile, PPP’s Zia Qamar won LA-15 with 16,637 votes. PML-N’s Mushtaq Minhas secured 15,015 votes.
In LA-16 Bagh-East, PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar Khan led with 18,950 votes after results from 174 of 186 polling stations.
PPP’s Sardar Qamar Zaman followed with 15,015 votes.
Polling took place for four seats across Bagh and Haveli districts. Unofficial results continued to emerge as counting progressed.
