PPP Wins LA-29 Muzaffarabad Seat in Unofficial AJK Result
Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Mukhtar Ahmad Abbas has defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz contender Syed Iftikhar Gillani in the LA-29 Muzaffarabad-III constituency, according to complete unofficial results reported after counting concluded. The politically significant result emerged early on Monday as election activity continued across Azad Jammu and Kashmir and refugee constituencies located in Pakistan.
Unofficial figures showed Mukhtar Ahmad Abbas securing 19,792 votes, giving the PPP candidate a lead of 3,379 ballots over his closest rival. Syed Iftikhar Gillani finished second with 16,413 votes, making LA-29 one of the closely watched contests in the second phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections.
The result remains provisional until the constituency's returning officer completes the formal consolidation process and the AJK Election Commission issues official confirmation. Election authorities may examine polling records, postal ballots and complaints before notifying the final outcome, meaning the reported totals could still be reviewed under established procedures.
Polling in LA-29 was conducted alongside voting across nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in different parts of Pakistan. Officials extended voting in Muzaffarabad Division by one hour, moving the closing time from 5pm to 6pm after large numbers of voters were reported at polling stations near the original deadline.
The AJK Election Commission said the extension was intended to allow eligible citizens already arriving at polling locations to exercise their democratic right. Election staff subsequently began counting ballots under security arrangements, while political parties deployed representatives to monitor tabulation and collect constituency-level results.
A total of 207 candidates contested the second-phase seats across Muzaffarabad Division. The region's nine constituencies include five in Muzaffarabad district, two in Jhelum Valley and two in Neelum Valley, making the phase important for determining the balance between the PPP, PML-N and other political forces seeking influence in the next assembly.
LA-29 attracted particular attention because it covers an important part of Muzaffarabad city, the administrative capital of AJK. Urban constituencies often carry symbolic weight beyond their numerical contribution to the assembly because their results are closely associated with public opinion on governance, development, infrastructure and the performance of major political parties.
The PPP victory is also politically important amid its wider dispute with the PML-N over the conduct of the elections. PPP leaders have alleged irregularities in parts of the polling process, while PML-N representatives have rejected accusations of systematic manipulation and maintained that voting was conducted transparently under the supervision of election authorities.
For the PPP, success in LA-29 could strengthen its position during the final calculation of party standings and help it challenge the PML-N's momentum from earlier contests. The PML-N had performed strongly in the first phase across Mirpur Division, making each additional constituency increasingly important as both parties assess their prospects of influencing government formation.
Attention will now turn to official certification of the LA-29 result, completion of counting in the remaining second-phase constituencies and any formal complaints submitted by candidates. The overall political picture will become clearer after all election phases are completed and the AJK Election Commission publishes verified results for the full assembly.