AJK elections: Rana Sanaullah says LA-14 winner has joined PML-N

Islamabad witnessed a significant announcement from PML-N's Rana Sanaullah on Monday, as he revealed that Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, the recently elected member of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) legislative assembly on the Jammu Kashmir Awami Dast-o-Bazu Party's ticket, had joined the PML-N. Speaking at a press conference, Sanaullah affirmed that the PML-N was on track to form the governing body in AJK, as they had secured an impressive 25 seats in the recent elections.

He further projected that the party's total strength would rise to approximately 33 after the allocation of reserved seats, bringing them close to a two-thirds majority in the 53-member legislative assembly. The elections in AJK were conducted in multiple phases, primarily due to security concerns, with the Election Commission citing these apprehensions.

Prior to Abbasi's entry into the PML-N fold, the party had already clinched 25 seats. The main opposition party, PPP, managed to win only 12 constituencies and had vocally accused the PML-N of electoral malpractices and alleged rigging. In an addendum to this development, seven seats in AJK have yet to be contested due to the prevailing security situation.

Sanaullah, during his press briefing, asserted that the people of AJK had given the PML-N the mandate to govern. He expressed optimism about the upcoming elections for the remaining seven seats, believing that they could further bolster the party's progress towards achieving the goal of a two-thirds majority.