PML-N finalises most AJK election tickets, one seat changed and six kept pending

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has completed around 90 per cent of its ticket allocation for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, with formal issuance expected within the next one or two days, according to a party leader who attended a meeting chaired by party president Nawaz Sharif.

The leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Nawaz had approved about 38 tickets for AJK and that these would likely be issued on Thursday or Friday. He said the process largely followed expectations set by the party’s AJK leadership, with only one notable change in the list so far.

According to the party leader, the main surprise came in LA-10 Kotli City, where Fateeh Mehmood Kiyani was selected instead of seven-time MLA Malik Muhammad Nawaz. He said the ticket for LA-41 Valley-2, a refugee constituency in Lahore, had been held back for formal approval from Hamza Shehbaz, under whose jurisdiction the seat falls, and added that the seat was expected to go to Ayesha.

He also said party president Shah Ghulam Qadir had been awarded tickets from both Upper Neelum, LA-25, and Lower Neelum, LA-26. In addition, he said tickets for six constituencies remained pending, including LA-45 Valley-5, Peshawar-Hazara, where a party ally could be accommodated.

Party view on protests and refugee seats

The same leader said Nawaz Sharif believed an amicable settlement should be found to what he described as a mess created by a recently outlawed faction, but that the party would continue its campaign at full pace because protests and sit-ins were confined to only three or four constituencies.

He said law and order was the administration’s responsibility and stressed that refugee constituencies should not be taken away. "These refugees have no voice, nor do they have any representation other than these seats," he was quoted as saying.

On the wider electoral picture, he said the presence of 10 seats in Punjab gave PML-N an added edge, arguing that the only other party with a significant vote bank there was in disarray, while parties without a foothold in the province would struggle.

Constituency-wise ticket allocations

According to the information shared by the party leader, LA-1 Mirpur-1 has been kept pending. LA-2 Mirpur-2 is to go to Chaudhry Azeem Bakhsh, LA-3 Mirpur-3 to Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, LA-4 Mirpur-4, covering Khari Sharif, to Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed, and LA-5 Barnala to Col (retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor.

For Bhimber and Kotli seats, LA-6 Bhimber-2 has been allotted to Chaudhry Muhammad Razaq, LA-7 Bhimber-3 to Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, LA-8 Kotli-1, Raj Mehal, to Malik Zulfiqar Ali, LA-9 Kotli-2, Nakyal, to Sardar Umair Naeem, nephew of former prime minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat, LA-10 Kotli-3 City to Fateeh Muhammad Kiyani, LA-11 Kotli-4, Sansa, to Raja Muhammad Asif, LA-12 Kotli-5, Charhoi, to Raja Muhammad Riyasat, and LA-13 Kotli-6, Khoi Ratta, to Raja Ayaz Nisar.

In Bagh and Poonch, LA-14 Bagh-1, Dheerkot, has gone to Raja Faisal Azad, LA-15 Bagh-2, Wasti Bagh, to party information secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Minhas, LA-16 Bagh-3, Sharqi Bagh, to Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, and LA-17 Bagh-4 to Engineer Mohsin Aziz. LA-18 Poonch-1, Abbaspur, remains pending, while LA-19 Poonch-2 has gone to Sardar Amir Altaf, LA-20 Poonch-3, Khai Gala, to Sardar Abdur Rasheed, LA-21 Poonch-4, Rawalakot City, to Sardar Tahir Anwar, LA-22 Poonch-5, Khorar, remains pending, LA-23 Poonch-6, Palandri, to Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi, and LA-24 Poonch-7, Balooch, to Sardar Farooq Ahmed Tahir.

For Neelum and Muzaffarabad divisions, LA-25 and LA-26 covering Upper and Lower Neelum have both been assigned to Shah Ghulam Qadir. LA-27 Muzaffarabad Kotla has gone to Noreen Arif, LA-28 Muzaffarabad-2, Najrat, is pending, LA-29 Muzaffarabad-3, Muzaffarabad City, to Barrister Iftakhar Gillani, LA-30 Muzaffarabad-4, Khabra, to Raja Saqib Majeed, LA-31 Muzaffarabad-5, Hattian Dupatta, to Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbasi, LA-32 Muzaffarabad-6, Shigar, to Raja Muhammad Farooq Ahmad Khan, a former prime minister, and LA-33 Muzaffarabad-7 to Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed.

In refugee constituencies, LA-34 Jammu-1, covering Lahore and Karachi, is to go to Nasir Ahmad Dar; LA-35 Jammu-2, for people from occupied Kashmir living in Gujranwala, to Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail; LA-36 Jammu-3, for people from the occupied territory in Sialkot, to Ahsan Raza; LA-37 Jammu-4, Narowal, to Maryam Javed; LA-38 Jammu-5, Gujrat, to Chaudhry Muhammad Zeeshan; and Jammu-6, covering Rawalpindi and Attock, to Raja Muhammad Saddique.

The leader further said Valley-2 in Lahore was expected to be allotted to Ayesha, Valley-3 covering Jhelum to Multan to Syed Shaukat Shah, LA-43 Valley-4 to Muhammad Yaseen Loan in Rawalpindi, LA-44 Valley-5, Murree, to sitting MLA Hafiz Ahmad Raza Qadri, while LA-45 Valley-6, Peshawar-Hazara, may be given to an ally.