The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured one seat each as unofficial and unconfirmed results from the two constituencies where polling had been delayed brought the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections to a close on Tuesday.

The PML-N won LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I, while the PPP clinched LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II. According to unofficial and unconfirmed results compiled after counting was completed at all polling stations.

The polling in the two constituencies was held on Tuesday after voting scheduled for August 2 was postponed because adverse weather conditions disrupted the transportation of polling staff and election material to the affected areas.

The conclusion of polling in the two constituencies completed the electoral process in the Muzaffarabad Division, where the second phase of the AJK elections was held amid heightened security and close competition between the major political parties.

PML-N wins LA-27 by 298 votes. In LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I, PML-N candidate Noreen Arif emerged victorious after securing 18,919 votes from all 197 polling stations, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results.

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She defeated Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Sardar Tabarak Ali, who received 18,621 votes, finishing just 298 votes behind the PML-N candidate. The narrow margin reflected the closely contested nature of the constituency, where the PML-N, PPP and IPP had been engaged in a keen electoral battle.

With all 197 polling stations reporting results, the PML-N managed to hold off the challenge from the IPP and secure the constituency.

PPP takes LA-28. In LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II, PPP candidate Bazil Ali Naqvi secured a decisive victory, polling 28,214 votes against 26,866 votes obtained by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Shehzad.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results from all 174 polling stations, Naqvi won the constituency with a margin of 1,348 votes. The result ended one of the most closely watched contests of the second phase and gave the PPP a significant win in the Muzaffarabad Division.

The constituency had already attracted considerable attention during the initial polling on August 2, when adverse weather conditions prevented election material and polling personnel from reaching several polling stations on time. The Election Commission subsequently postponed polling in the affected areas and fixed Tuesday for the resumed vote.

Weather disrupts electoral schedule

The delayed polling followed heavy rain and adverse weather conditions that disrupted road links and movement in parts of the constituency areas. The Election Commission decided to defer polling where the required election material and staff could not reach polling stations in time. The decision resulted in the two constituencies going to the polls separately from the rest of the Muzaffarabad Division.

Election authorities subsequently completed arrangements for the resumed polling, deploying additional security personnel at sensitive polling stations and ensuring the availability of election staff and material.

The Tuesday polling was conducted under enhanced security arrangements, with law-enforcement personnel deployed to maintain order and facilitate voters. The completion of counting in the two delayed constituencies now provides a clearer picture of the electoral balance emerging from the second phase of the AJK elections.

The results are particularly significant because the Muzaffarabad Division has traditionally remained a politically competitive region, with the PML-N and PPP maintaining strong organisational and electoral networks.

With the PML-N taking LA-27 and the PPP winning LA-28, the two delayed constituencies ended in a split between the two major parties, adding another dimension to the wider contest over the formation of the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The results remain unofficial and unconfirmed until formally consolidated and notified by the AJK Election Commission.

Following these two seats, PML-N got 24, and PPP reached 10 seats.

Tuesday’s polling was also overshadowed by fresh allegations of electoral malpractice by the PPP, which alleged that polling staff at Polling Station No 3 in Union Council Bheri, LA-27, abandoned their designated polling station and were caught “red-handed” with official polling bags and ballot papers at the residence of a PML-N supporter.

In a complaint addressed to the AJK Chief Election Commissioner, the party alleged the staff were preparing to engage in ballot stuffing and said video evidence had been submitted to election officials, but no action had been taken. The PPP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately, while the PML-N rejected the allegations.

Allegations of rigging had overshadowed the second phase of polling on Sunday, with the PPP accusing the Election Commission of failing to act on complaints lodged during the first round of voting. The party alleged widespread irregularities, including the removal of polling agents before vote counting, the use of photocopied and expired identity documents for voting, attacks on its workers and the occupation of polling stations by political opponents.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari later said the party reserved the right to seek re-polling in constituencies where it believed the electoral process had been compromised, while the PML-N dismissed the allegations as an attempt to discredit the election after its defeat.