Pak PM’s party wins 6 out of 8 reserved seats in PoK assembly

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party on Monday secured three out of the five seats reserved for women and won all three seats reserved for professionals in the legislative assembly election of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 26 out of 45 seats last week in an election marred by deadly violence and allegations of irregularities.

With the addition of reserved seats, the PTI’s tally reached 32 in the 53-member assembly and it became strong enough to form the government without the support of any other party.

India has rejected the recent elections in PoK, saying the ”cosmetic exercise” was nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to ”camouflage its illegal occupation” and that it has lodged a strong protest over the issue.

Reacting strongly on the elections in the PoK, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that Pakistan has ”no locus standi on these Indian territories” and it must vacate all Indian areas under its illegal occupation.

”The so-called elections in Indian territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan are nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and the material changes undertaken by it in these territories,” he said last week.

”Such an exercise can neither hide the illegal occupation by Pakistan nor the grave human rights violations, exploitation, and denial of freedom to people in these occupied territories,” he said.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have 12 and 7 seats, respectively in the House. Both All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party won one seat each.

It is for the first time that the PTI will form a government in PoK.

Three candidates of PTI and one each of PPP and PML-N were elected unopposed against five seats of the legislative assembly reserved for women. They include Imtiaz Naseem, Sabiha Saddique, KausarTaqdees Gillani, Nebela Ayub Khan and Nisaran Abbasi.

The election on three seats – one each for Ulema/Mushaikh, overseas Kashmiri and technocrats – was held in the assembly building in Muzaffarabad, according to a statement by the regional election commission.

Khan’s party won all three seats, taking its total strength in the 53-member assembly to 32, it said.

Those elected include Muhammad Mazar Saeed on the reserved seat of Ulema/Mushaikh, Muhammad Iqbal on seat of overseas Kashmiri and Muhammad Rafique Nayyer on reserved seat for technocrats.

Khan has interviewed various candidates for the post of “the Prime Minister”. There is tough competition between former premier Barrister Sultan Mahmood and business tycoon Sardar Tanvir Ilyas. The assembly will hold its inaugural session on Tuesday for administration of oath of its members.

Election of the leader of the house is likely to be held on Wednesday.