MUZAFFARABAD: PML-N candidate Sardar Farooq Ahmed Tahir won a seat of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in a by-election held on Saturday.

According to unofficial results released by the AJK Election Commission on Sunday, Sardar Tahir defeated Fahim Akhtar Rabbani of the ruling PPAJK by more than 4,500 votes in the contest for LA-22 (Poonch) Sudhnoti-VI.

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Minister for Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Sardar Akhtar Hussain Rabbani on Dec 25.

Sardar Tahir bagged 23,724 votes against 19,150 secured by Mr Rabbani, according to the results collected from 171 polling stations.

The opposition Muslim Conference’s candidate Farooq Inqilabi polled 1,835 votes, a setback for the party that had long enjoyed power in Azad Kashmir.

Sardar Tahir also won the 2006 general elections, but in 2011 was defeated by senior Rabbani by less than 400 votes.