Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan's party on Monday was poised to form the government in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for the first time after it won 25 of 45 seats in the legislative assembly elections marred by deadly violence and allegations of irregularities by the Opposition, local media reported.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) won 25 seats while Pakistan People's Party (PPP) came second with 11 seats and the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured just six seats, the state-run Radio Pakistan reported, citing unofficial results announced by the Election Commission.
Thus, PTI got a simple majority to form the government without support of any other party. It is for the first time that it will form a government in PoK.
Traditionally, the ruling party in the country wins the elections in Pok.
Muslim Conference (MC) and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP) won one seat each.
India has previously slammed Pakistan for its decision to hold elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and said any action to alter the status of the militarily occupied region has no legal basis.
Prime Minister Khan thanked the people of the region for placing their trust in his party through their votes which resulted in PTI's electoral victory.
"We will focus on bringing the ppl out of poverty through our Ehsaas & Kamyab Pakistan progs; & establish accountability & transparency in govt," he tweeted.
Khan also said that he will continue to raise the Kashmir issue on all international forums including the UN.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said PTI's "resounding victory in elections is manifestation of the common man's confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan".
In a tweet on Monday, he said the opposition parties should reconsider both their leadership and politics.
Pakistan's Opposition leaders - PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz alleged that the PTI won the polls through rigging and rejected the results of the elections held on Sunday.
Bhutto claimed the election commission had failed to take action against the PTI for violating electoral rules.
"PTI resorted to violence & rigging, he said, adding that despite this, PPP emerged as largest opposition party with 11 seats, up from 3 seats last time. He also shared the list of the party's winning candidates.
PML-N Vice President Maryam said that she has not accepted the results and will never accept them. "I did not accept the 2018 results either or acknowledge this fake government," she tweeted.