File photo. Rizwan Tabassum—AFP
The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has announced the results of the first phase of local body elections in the disputed region, comprising 669 wards of urban and rural councils in three districts of Muzaffarabad division.
The polling took place in the districts of Muzaffarabad, Neelum and Jhelum. According to the Election Commission, 535 wards of 74 union councils were being contested, as well as 1 municipal corporation, 3 municipal committees and 4 town committees. According to the results released by Tuesday morning, 1 result was withheld for the district councils, while 4 were pending for union councils.
District Councils
Of the results issued, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 32 seats of the 3 district councils; followed by 22 for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP); 11 for the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz); 4 for independent candidates; 3 for the Muslim Conference (MC) and 1 by the Jammu Kashmir People’s Party (JKPP).
In the 41-member Muzaffarabad District Council, the PPP won 16 seats; the PTI 15; three each by MC and PMLN; two by independents; and one by JKPP. In the 18-member Jhelum Valley District Council, the PTI won 10 seats; the PMLN 5 and the PPP 3. In the 15-seat Neelum Valley District Council, the PTI won 7 seats; followed by three each of the PPP and PMLN; and two of the independents.
The combined opposition is in a strong position to form the head of the Muzaffarabad District Council, while the PTI would likely be appoint its own in Jhelum Valley. In Neelum Valley, the matter would depend on the independent candidates, as one or both siding with the PTI would hand them the council’s leadership, while both siding with the opposition would shift in the PMLN and PPP’s favor.
Union Councils
The Election Commission did not provide a detailed breakup of the union council elections, with the PPP winning 158 of the 535 wards; the PTI 148; independents 108; PMLN 98; MC 17; and 1 each for the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan and the Jamaat-e-Islami.
Municipal Corporation
In the 36 wards of the Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad, the PMLN secured 12 seats, followed by eight by the PTI and seven each by the PPP and independents. Two seats were won by the MC with the support of the PTI, suggesting an alliance between them in future, though this would still far short of the numerical majority of the opposition.
Municipal Committee
In the three-seat municipal committee of Hattian Bala (Jhelum), the PTI, PPP and PMLN won one seat each, while in the two-member committee of Athmuqam (Neelum), the PPP and PTI won one seat each. Of the remaining five seats up for grabs, the PPP won 3 seats and the PTI won 2.
In the town committee of Chikar (Jhelum), all three wards were won by the PMLN, while in the four-member town committee of Kel, the PPP and PTI won 2 each. Of the remaining seven wards, independents won 2; PMLN won 2; PTI won 3.