Rana Sanaullah Says PML-N Secures Simple Majority in AJK, Alleges PPP Incited Unrest in Muzaffarabad
Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah has said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured a simple majority in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections and is set to form the next government.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Islamabad alongside Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, Rana Sanaullah said the PML-N had won 23 of the 45 seats, giving it the numbers required to form the government. He added that the party’s parliamentary committee would meet immediately after the third phase of the elections on August 10.
He said that out of 20 constituencies contested in the second phase, the PML-N won 13 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured three seats. He also stated that the PML-N won all four seats in Muzaffarabad and claimed victory in 10 of the 12 refugee seats, with the PPP winning the remaining two.
Rana Sanaullah said the people of Azad Kashmir had voted in support of Nawaz Sharif’s vision and thanked voters for their confidence in the party. He pledged that the future PML-N government would work to address public issues and fulfill the commitments made during the election campaign.
During the press conference, Rana Sanaullah alleged that the PPP, in collaboration with a proscribed Action Committee, had orchestrated unrest at a public square in Muzaffarabad. He further claimed that gunfire was opened after police arrived at the scene.
He alleged that the resulting death of an individual created fear among voters, reducing turnout and contributing to the PML-N losing one city constituency.
Rana Sanaullah also alleged that claims of an assassination attempt on Chaudhry Latif Akbar were fabricated, asserting that the incident involved only an altercation and verbal abuse. He further claimed that Latif Akbar declined to undergo a medical examination.
The PPP has made separate allegations of election irregularities and rejected the claims made by PML-N leaders. The Election Commission has not publicly endorsed the allegations made by either side.
