Islamabad: Pakistan’s ruling party has won a landslide win in legislative assembly elections in Islamabad-administered part of Kashmir and is set to form its government in the state for the first time, according to unofficial results announced on Friday by the stat’s election commission.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hailed the elections held peacefully on Thursday in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the official name for the Kashmiri state, as a “victory of democracy”.
According to unofficial results, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) took 31 out of 41 seats contested in the elections, held under heavy security — 17,00 army troops and thousands of law enforcement personnel had been deployed.
Around 2.67 million Kashmiris were eligible to vote in the election. Members for 12 of the 41 seats were elected by refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir living in Pakistan, where polling took place in various cities.
PML-N almost wiped out its major rivals in AJK polls — Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and PTI, which secured three and two seats respectively.
The Muslim Conference, the oldest political party in the state, got three seats.
Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party got one seat. An independent candidate also returned to the Legislative Assembly.
Among AJK party presidents, Raja Farooq Haider of PML-N, Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan of the Muslim Conference (MC) and Sardar Khalid Ebrahim of the Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) managed to secure seats.
Former AJK premier Barrister Sultan Mahmood, who had switched over to PTI from PPP, lost at the hands of the PML-N candidate.
Sharif’s party rejoiced its electoral success, which comes at a time when the prime minister, who underwent open heart surgery in London recently, is facing opposition pressure over disclosures in Panama Papers regarding the offshore wealth of his children.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan has threatened to launch a nationwide movement on August 7 to dislodge the Sharif government.
PPP leaders in Kashmir rejected the outcome alleging massive vote-purchasing and behind-the-scene manipulation — allegations thee PML-N strongly denied.
Khan felicitated the PML-N and also successful PTI candidates, saying the party’s nominees “put up a great fight despite heavy odds.”
“Even though traditionally [the] party in power in Islamabad tends to win AJK elections, I would still like to congratulate PMLN for its AJK win,” the PTI leader said.
Prime Minister Sharif, in his statement, said winning or losing is part of elections, but the important thing for a “vibrant democracy is the continuity of process.”
He expressed the confidence that newly elected representatives of AJK would reinforce their support to the people of “Indian-occupied Kashmir in their just struggle for freedom.”
Pakistani Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said Kashmiris have responded to PML-N’s critics and expressed confidence in Prime Minister Sharif’s “development vision by their votes.”
He vowed that Pakistan would continue to promote the Kashmir cause under the “dynamic leadership” of the prime minister.
