Major political upset in ongoing phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) General Elections 2026 in LA-14 Bagh (Dhirkot) constituency has taken place.A major political upset has taken place during the ongoing phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) General Elections 2026 in LA-14 Bagh (Dhirkot) constituency.
According to unofficial and preliminary results coming from the constituency, independent or alliance-backed contender Sardar Sajid Iqbal has established a decisive and commanding lead over Muslim Conference leader and former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan. Of the 214 polling stations in the constituency,the results from 130 polling stations show that Sardar Sajid Iqbal has got the highest number of votes with 25,548. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan is in 2nd place with 12,511 votes.This puts Sardar Sajid Iqbal in a strong position of 13,037 votes ahead of Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan.
The uncounted polling stations in Dhirkot are statistically not enough to reverse Iqbal’s huge margin, according to local reports, but it remains to be seen whether the official confirmation will come after the final counting and formal declaration by the AJK Election Commission.This electoral change is being seen as an extraordinary development as Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan’s family has been a significant political force and has a strong foothold in the landscape of Azad Kashmir for more than seven decades. The Election Buildup was an intense period during which Sardar Sajid Iqbal received support from the major political parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, whereas Sardar Atiq contested on the ticket of the Muslim Conference.High turnout of voters was observed at different polling stations on polling day with appropriate security measures in place to ensure public order. The margin of more than 13,000 votes at the 130 reporting stations has led to a lot of jubilation among Iqbal’s supporters and a significant political blow to the veteran leadership of Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan.The final position and official winner of the constituency will be officially declared when the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir comes out with the complete and verified results of the entire LA-14 Ghari Bagh constituency.