According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the PTI and PPP were able to maintain their seats in Mirpur and Kotli despite a low turnout in the by-elections.
By-elections for two constituencies of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Mirpur LA-3 and LA-12 Kotli-V, were held the day before.
The PTI candidate won LA-3, Mirpur-III, and the PPP candidate won LA-12, Kotli-V. Army forces were stationed at voting sites to ensure the polling process was not disrupted. Voting began at 8:00 a.m. and ended at 5:00 p.m.
Barrister Sultan Mehmood Choudhry, who won this seat as a PTI nominee in the July 25 general elections, was elected as AJK president, leaving the LA-3, Mirpur-III seat vacant.
According to unconfirmed and unofficial results:
- PTI candidate Yasir Sultan Chaudhry won the election securing 20,142 votes.
- PMLN candidate Chaudhry Saeed got 11,608 votes.
- PPP’s Aamir Yaseen clinches Kotli-V seat
Voters who participated:
- Total number of voters: 106,428
- Males: 57,838
- Females: 48,590
According to unofficial results from 197 out of 198 polling stations, the PPP’s Aamir Yaseen defeated the PTI’s Shaukat Farid Advocate with 24,335 votes to the PTI’s 18,858 votes.
Due to Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin’s resignation from one of two seats which he won in the July 25 general elections concurrently from Kotli city and Charhoi constituencies, the LA-12 (Charhoi), Kotli-V seat had become vacant.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, the PPP’s chairman, congratulated his party’s workers and supporters on “another win from Azad Kashmir.”
Bilawal tweeted, “Congratulations to all PPP workers on another victory from Azad Kashmir. We beat PTI in yet another by-election. From Karachi to Kashmir Jiya Bhutto Benazir.”
Mohammad Riyasat Khan of the PML-N, on the other hand, received only 17,892 votes and finished third in the LA-12 Kotli-V poll.
DRO Kotli Mian Arif said, “The polling process at Government Girls College Changpur was interrupted when ballot papers were stolen from election personnel.”
Mian Arif said, “A report has been prepared by the presiding officer and sent to the reporting officer. The report says that the PML-N candidate snatched the ballot papers from the election staff.”
In view of the report’s findings, he warned legal action would be taken against the PML-N candidate.
