The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has taken a lead in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, winning nine of the 13 seats, according to unofficial and provisional results.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won the remaining four seats, while the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) failed to secure any constituency despite fielding candidates.

The elections also produced several major upsets, with PML-N youth leader Fateh Mahmood Kiani suffering defeat, while two PPP ministers and several prominent political figures also lost their seats.

PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin secured victory in one constituency but was defeated in another.

PML-N strengthens position in Mirpur

In LA-1 Mirpur-1, PML-N’s Azhar Sadiq retained his seat.

Sadiq had won the constituency in the 2021 elections on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket before joining the PML-N.

In LA-2 Chakswari (Mirpur-2), PPP’s Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, son of former AJK prime minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, successfully defended his seat by defeating the PML-N candidate.

The PPP also retained LA-3 Mirpur-3, where Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, son of the late former AJK president Barrister Sultan Mahmood, defeated PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed.

In LA-4 Khari Sharif (Mirpur-4), PML-N’s Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed avenged his defeat in the previous election by defeating PPP candidate Chaudhry Sohaib Arshad.

PML-N wins in Bhimber and Kotli

In LA-7 Bhimber-3, senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Tariq Farooq defeated former AJK prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, reversing his defeat in the 2021 elections, when Anwarul Haq had won by polling around 38,000 votes.

PPP’s Zafar Iqbal Malik retained LA-8 Kotli-1 (Raj Mahal), defeating PML-N’s Malik Muhammad Nawaz by a comfortable margin. Malik had won the seat in 2021 on a PTI ticket.

In LA-9 Kotli-2, PML-N’s Umair Naeem defeated PPP’s Javed Iqbal Budhanvi.

PPP AJK President Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin won LA-10 Kotli-3, defeating PML-N youth leader Fateh Mahmood Kiani.

However, Yasin failed to repeat that success in LA-12 Kotli-5, where he was defeated by PML-N’s Raja Riasat Khan.

The PML-N also captured LA-11 Kotli-4, with Muhammad Asif defeating PPP’s Chaudhry Muhammad Akhlaq.

In LA-13 Kotli-6, PML-N’s Raja Ayaz Ahmed Khan defeated Nisar Ansar of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party.

The PML-N is clearly ahead in the first phase results. The PPP has also managed to hold on to a number of constituencies despite losing a number of high-profile candidates.

The IPP, for its part, failed to open its account in the first round of polling.