PML-N and PPP inch toward one AJK seat each

Unofficial results from two delayed constituencies in Azad Jammu and Kashmir suggest the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party are each on track to win one seat in Muzaffarabad division, according to Dawn Pakistan.

The vote in these areas was held after polling was disrupted by landslides and bad weather, which blocked roads and delayed the movement of polling staff and election material. One constituency, LA-28 Lachhrat, had already seen voting at most stations on Sunday, while the remaining polling and repolling were completed on Tuesday. In the other constituency, LA-27 Kutla, voting took place at all polling stations on Tuesday after the schedule had been postponed.

In LA-28, PPP candidate Syed Bazil Ali Naqvi was holding a narrow lead over PML-N candidate Chaudhry Shahzad Mahmood in the latest unofficial and unverified count available past midnight. Final consolidation of the results was still in progress.

LA-28 had 174 polling stations in total. Polling was conducted at 122 stations on Sunday, while the rest were added later after the Election Commission ordered repolling at two stations and voting at the 52 stations where polling could not be held because of the weather-related disruption.

In LA-27, unofficial results from all 197 polling stations showed PML-N candidate Noreen Arif ahead by fewer than 200 votes. Her nearest challenger was Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party candidate Sardar Tabarak Ali. PML-N leaders said they expected votes cast by government employees on election duty to strengthen Arif’s position.

The contest has also been marked by allegations and counter-allegations. PPP figures raised concerns over possible rigging, while PML-N leader Talal Chaudhry responded by asking Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to show grace in defeat. Separately, AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Anwarul Haq alleged that 14,000 fake votes had been cast after his defeat in Khawra and called for a forensic audit of the ballots.

The unfolding results underline how tightly contested the delayed AJK constituencies remain, with both major parties awaiting final confirmation before declaring victory.

What the delayed polling covered

The delayed vote followed serious disruption in parts of Muzaffarabad division. Weather and landslides prevented polling from going ahead on schedule in some locations, forcing the Election Commission to reschedule voting and, in one constituency, order repolling at two stations.

Why the result remains close

Both constituencies were decided by narrow margins in the unofficial count. In LA-27, the gap was under 200 votes, while in LA-28 the PPP candidate maintained only a slender lead. That leaves the final outcome dependent on result consolidation and any remaining administrative steps.