Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Sardar Qamar Zaman Khan has taken the lead in LA-16 Bagh-III as unofficial and unconfirmed results from 113 polling stations emerged from the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections.
According to the preliminary results, Qamar Zaman secured 12,516 votes, while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Sardar Mir Akbar Khan was in second place with 11,613 votes.
The figures remain unofficial and are subject to confirmation by the AJK Election Commission.
Polling in the third phase was initially scheduled across seven constituencies in four districts. Following a revision of the election schedule, however, voting proceeded in three constituencies of Bagh and one in Haveli, while elections in five constituencies of Poonch and two in Sudhanoti were postponed.
The PML-N emerged ahead after the first two phases, winning nine of the 13 seats contested in Mirpur Division and another 15 seats during the second phase covering Muzaffarabad Division and constituencies reserved for refugees.
The PPP won four seats in the first phase and six in the second.
Following the first two phases, the PML-N held 24 seats in the 45-member AJK Legislative Assembly, compared with 10 for the PPP.
Results from the constituencies voting in the third phase will further determine the balance of political strength in the new assembly.