PPP leads in LA-12 Kotli by-poll

MUZAFFARABAD: Voting for by-elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) LA-12, Kotli-V constituency has ended and counting of votes is underway, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The polling in LA-12, Kotli-V constituency started at 8 am and continued until 5 pm without any break.

Unofficial and preliminary results of 196 polling stations by ARY News showed PPP’s Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin leading with 24,335 votes.

PTI candidate Chaudhry Shaukat Fareed was in second place with 18,858 votes.

The result of one polling station has been reportedly stopped by AJK EC after a scuffle was reported between two political parties.

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There was a total of 85,919 registered voters in LA-3 while 106,260 voters in LA-12.

Raja Riasat of PML-N and Chaudhry Shauqat Farid of PTI ran for the LA-12 seat that fell vacant after PPP’s Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, who won two seats in Kotli district, vacated it.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Yasir Sultan won the LA-3, Mirpur-III, by-election by securing 18,330 votes, according to unofficial and unconfirmed results.

As per the unofficial results from all 147 polling stations in the constituency, the PTI candidate emerged victorious and secured 18,330 votes in Mirpur by-polls.

His close contestant, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed bagged 11,608 votes and stood second.

Overall turnout remained 44 per cent in the constituency.

As many as 12 candidates contested for the LA-3 seat that fell vacant after Barrister Sultan Mahmood’s elevation as AJK president in August this year.