MUZAFFARABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf consolidated its strength by securing one more general seat of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in re-polling in a constituency of Bagh district on Thursday.

According to the results released by the election commission, Sardar Mir Akbar Khan of PTI defeated his closest rival Sardar Qamaruz Zaman of Pakistan Peoples Party by a margin of 294 votes in LA-16, Bagh-III.

Polling at the four stations of this constituency, having over 2,200 registered voters, was cancelled on July 25 due to rioting and related reasons. Mr Akbar had a lead of less than 200 votes over his rival before Thursday’s polling.

After counting of the polled votes, including 939 votes that the government servants on election duty had cast on July 21, the tally of Mr Akbar went to 23,563 votes against 23,367 bagged by Mr Zaman.

After Thursday’s victory, the strength of PTI legislators increased to 26, followed by 11 of PPP, six of PML-N and one each of Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party. One PPP legislator, Chaudhry Yasin, has returned from two constituencies.

RESERVED SEATS: As many as 22 nomination papers were submitted by the PTI, PPP and PML-N on Thursday for eight reserved seats, five of them for women and one each for technocrats, ulema/mashaikh and overseas Kashmiris.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2021