PTI takes lead in third phase of AJK LG polls

MIRPUR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has taken lead after the results started pouring in after the conclusion of the third and final phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Local Government (LG) polls, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The official results of 114 out of 967 of Mirpur – AJK seats were issued by the region’s election commission.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took lead by winning 46 seats, independent candidates won 38 seats, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) 23.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) grabbed victory on 3 union council and two municipal corporation seats.

READ: PTI TAKES LEAD IN AJK LG POLLS, BAGS 30 DISTRICT COUNCIL SEATS

All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference won a town committee seat and Tehreek-e-Labbak one union council seat in the AJK LG polls third phase.

Independents secured victory on 17 union council, 10 municipal corporation, 7 municipal committee and 2 town committee seats.

PTI won 23 union council and 17 municipal corporation seats, 1 municipal committee and 5 district council seats.

PML-N won 9 union councils, 9 municipal corporation and 5 municipal committee seats.

READ: INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES TAKE LEAD AJK LG ELECTIONS

Polling for the third and final phase of the local government (LG) elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was held in three districts of Mirpur division — Kotli, Mirpur and Bhimber.

Polling in the first phase was conducted on November 27 in Muzaffarabad division while the second phase of the LG polls was held on December 03 in the Poonch division, while the final phase is going to be conducted on Thursday, December 8.

According to the AJK-Election Commission, polling kicked off at 8am and continue until 5pm for which all arrangements had been finalised.

Besides the AJK police officials, some 4,200 additional security personnel from Punjab Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) have been deployed on the most-sensitive and sensitive declared polling stations to maintain law and order, it said.

Besides three major political parties — the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — Muslim Conference (MC), Jammu Kashmir Peoples’ Party (JKPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiyat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and a number of independent candidates are in the run for LG elections.