Muslim Conference leading Kashmir polls

[sonz]

Voters in Pakistan-administered Kashmir finished voting in the legislative assembly elections, Reuters news agency reported.

The voters’ main concern is the reconstruction of a region hit by last October’s devastating earthquake, which killed more than 73,000 people and displaced at least three million others.

More than 2.4 million Kashmiris had the right to vote.

Election officials say the turnout was above 50%.

About 15 parties took part in the elections, with a total of 369 candidates competing for 41 seats.

Initial results show that the ruling All Pakistan Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference won 20 of the 41 seats, while the rest went to other political parties and independents.

Sardar Attic Ahmed Khan - the head of the ruling Muslim Conference - said that "earthquake related concerns" overshadowed other important issues, such as the "liberation" of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Besides the Muslim Conference, the main parties which took part in the elections are Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the People's Muslim League, a breakaway faction of the People's Party.

Other religious groups also participated in the polls, but they failed to win the support of the voters, who preferred trusted and tried candidates.

Correspondents say once the electoral commission announces the final results, the chief of the Muslim Conference Sardar Attic Ahmed Khan will form the new government as the new prime minister of Azad Kashmir.

Azad Kashmir, or Free Kashmir, is a part of land divided between Pakistan and India.

The region has an autonomous status, with its own president, prime minister and constitution, but many local politicians view it as a puppet of Islamabad.

AlJazeera