MUZAFFARABAD: While the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has upheld Prime Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore’s victory in LA-17 (Haveli), PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar and PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar retained their leads in their respective Bagh constituencies after repolling at all 23 polling stations on Saturday.
In LA-15 (Central Bagh), PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar defeated PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas by 1,891 votes, securing 17,118 votes against his rival’s 15,227, according to unofficial and unverified results. Repolling was held at nine polling stations.
It was the third consecutive defeat for Mr Minhas in the constituency. He entered electoral politics in 2016 under the PML-N, won that election and served as a minister during the following five years. Mr Qamar secured his second consecutive victory after winning the 2023 by-election.
In LA-16 (Eastern Bagh), PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar defeated PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman by 3,833 votes, polling 20,796 votes against his rival’s 16,963. Repolling was held at 14 polling stations.
Turnout remains low in both constituencies as repolling held at 23 polling stations
Mr Akbar has now won five elections, including four previous victories, and secured his third consecutive win.
Turnout remained low in both constituencies, with witnesses saying voters at some polling stations “voluntarily” chose not to cast their ballots. Polling was otherwise peaceful, with adequate security for polling staff and voters. Officials said voters treated polling and security personnel cordially.
“Though no voters showed up [at some polling stations], the attitude and cooperation of local notables with polling staff and security forces was exemplary, including arrangements for their accommodation and meals,” said a presiding officer in LA-15.
The repolling results took the PML-N’s tally to 25 seats and the PPP’s to 12 in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Mr Abbasi, who defeated Muslim Conference president and former AJK premier Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan by a large margin in LA-14, has also reportedly decided to support the PML-N. Social media reports said he gave an assurance to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif during a recent meeting in Murree.
Pleas rejected
Meanwhile, in a 2-1 majority decision, the commission dismissed two petitions filed against PM Rathore’s victory by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, holding that the alleged discrepancies in the results involved factual matters that could be examined by an Election Tribunal through an election petition.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal and senior member Muhammad Ahsen formed the majority, while member Nazeerul Hassan Gillani dissented in both cases.
The commission’s decision left Mr Rathore’s election notification intact. The commission had formally declared him the returned candidate from LA-17 on Friday night, along with Sajid Iqbal Abbasi as the winner from LA-14 (Dhirkot).
Mr Aziz had alleged that the results compiled by the Returning Officer (RO) for 21 polling stations did not match the Forms-24 supplied to his polling agents. He claimed 1,133 votes had been deducted from his tally and 3,095 added to Mr Rathore’s through forged statements of count. He also alleged that polling had not been held at two stations.
The RO rejected the allegations, saying polling continued without interruption and that all presiding officers brought sealed bags and Forms-24 to his office under security. He said the results were read out to polling agents and journalists before being consolidated.
The majority observed that Section 66(5) of the Elections Act allowed a recount only when a count was challenged in writing and the RO considered the challenge reasonable, or when the commission ordered it. It noted that no objection had been raised when the results were consolidated.
It further held that the allegations did not fall within the commission’s jurisdiction under Section 9 and involved disputed facts requiring evidence, making an election petition under Section 81 the appropriate remedy.
Mr Gillani, however, said he had personally compared Forms-24 supplied to polling agents at 10 polling stations with those submitted to the RO and found the allegation of forgery “substantiated by the record”. He said the latter forms appeared to have been written by the same person and directed the RO to recompile results wherever discrepancies existed.
Mr Saeed’s petition contained similar allegations of discrepancies between Forms-24. He also alleged violence against his polling agent at Mandhar and apprehended that fraudulent Forms-24 could have been inserted in polling bags.
The majority again held that the alleged alteration of results was a factual dispute requiring examination of records and presiding officers before the Election Tribunal. Mr Gillani dissented, saying Mr Saeed had produced “sufficient proof” of discrepancies and that fake Forms-24 had been prepared to benefit a particular candidate, whom he identified as the sitting AJK prime minister. He directed the RO to recompile results at all disputed polling stations according to the original Forms-24.
The majority relied on the AJK Supreme Court judgment in Gul Pathan vs Election Commission and others (2023 SCR 1), holding that the commission’s Section 9 jurisdiction concerned grave illegalities materially affecting polling, while an aggrieved candidate’s remedy after notification lay before the election tribunal.
Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2026
