National ( The cow news digital )
MUZAFFARABAD: The three phases of the Azad Kashmir elections have concluded, springing major political upsets as several veteran leaders and heavyweights from various parties faced crushing defeats.
According to preliminary election results across 38 contested seats, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged victorious by winning 24 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured 12 seats to become the second-largest political force in the region. Additionally, the Awami Dast-e-Bazo Party managed to win a single seat. In constituency LA-16, PML-N’s Mir Akbar maintained a clear lead, with results compiled from 174 out of 186 polling stations, while results from 12 remaining stations are currently delayed.
The elections witnessed dramatic downfalls for prominent political figures and smaller parties. Out of 24 competing political entities, as many as 20 failed to secure even a single seat, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) completely boycotted the electoral process. Prominent casualties included the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and the Muslim Conference, alongside Jamaat-e-Islami, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party, and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F), all of which drew a blank.
Notably, Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique failed to save his own seat, suffering a heavy defeat by a margin of 21,000 votes. Similarly, IPP President Tanveer Ilyas faced a severe rout across both constituencies he contested, managing to secure a meager 1,200 votes from LA-15 Bagh.
