Former AJK PM Anwar-ul-Haq Suffers Defeat as PML-N’s Tariq Farooq Wins Bhimber Seat
- Former AJK Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq lost the election from LA-8 Bhimber.
- PML-N candidate Tariq Farooq secured a convincing victory.
- The result is one of the biggest upsets of the first phase of the AJK elections.
- Vote counting in the remaining constituencies is still underway.
Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq suffered a major political setback on Monday after losing the LA-8 Bhimber constituency in the first phase of the 2026 AJK Legislative Assembly elections.
According to unofficial and provisional results, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Tariq Farooq secured victory with 35,490 votes, comfortably defeating Anwar-ul-Haq, who received around 2,500 votes.
Also Read:
The result marks one of the most significant outcomes of the opening phase of the AJK elections, as Anwar-ul-Haq is among the most prominent political figures to lose his seat.
Tariq Farooq’s victory also strengthened PML-N’s position in the Mirpur Division, where the party emerged as the leading force after the first batch of unofficial results.
Polling for the first phase of the AJK elections was held across all 13 constituencies of the Mirpur Division, including Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts. Vote counting continued late into the evening, with the Election Commission expected to announce the official results after completing the consolidation process.
LA-8 Bhimber (Unofficial Result)
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Tariq Farooq | Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) | 35,490 |
| Anwar-ul-Haq | Independent | 2,500 |
The remaining phases of the AJK elections will be held on August 2 and August 10, after which the full composition of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly will be determined.
Read all the Breaking News Live on pakistantimes.com and Get Latest English News & Updates from Pakistan Times. Follow us on Whatsapp channel for more.
