Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly constituency LA-30, Jammu-1, taking advantage of his party’s popularity in Punjab, has secured a visible lead over the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s candidate.
According to unofficial results, the PML-N’s Mirza Abdul Rasheed secured 10,789 votes, while the MQM’s Tahir Khokhar received only 66 votes. The total votes cast were 11,137 out of 12,558 registered voters (a 90 percent turnout), all refugees from Indian-Occupied Jammu living in Lahore.
The polling for the AJK constituency was held in a peaceful manner in Lahore on Wednesday with the exception of minor verbal battles between supporters of both parties at some polling stations over the issue of voter lists. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muslim Conference had withdrawn their candidates in favour of the MQM. The MQM, however, did not enjoy meaningful support in the provincial capital, being a new political party in Punjab. The polling seemed to be one-way because of the PML-N’s immense popularity in the province men. Most voters from the LA-30, Jammu-1 constituency reside in Lahore and Sargodha. Meanwhile, unofficial results from Karachi for LA-36 and LA-30 constituencies declared MQM candidates Saleem Butt and Tahir Khokhar successful with 4,633 votes and 31,414 votes respectively, Online news agency reported.
Some 73 polling stations and 93 polling booths were set up in Karachi for LA-30, while LA-36 had 25 polling stations and 26 polling booths. Polling began early in the morning and slowly picked up pace as the day progressed.
LA-30 includes 19 districts of Sindh, 17 of Punjab, and 7 of Balochistan, with a total of 68,580 voters.
LA-36 comprises 12 districts of Sindh and one of Balochistan, having 6,199 voters, out of which 4,215 are from Karachi.
