Second phase of AJK polls concludes amid renewed rigging allegations by PPP

The second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections took place on Sunday, with polling held in eight out of the nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies.

Polling began at 8am and continued till 5pm for the refugee seats, while the process concluded at 6pm in Muzaffarabad after an hour-long extension.

The electoral process in LA-27 (Muzaffarabad-I) was postponed due to heavy rain, AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said, DawnNewsTV reported.

Polling in LA-27, commonly known as Kutla, was deferred until August 4 after polling material could not be dispatched due to a landslide.

Similarly, polling in 52 of the 147 polling stations of LA-28 (Muzaffarabad-II) was also postponed until August 4 for the same reason.

Over 300 candidates were in the fray for the Muzaffarabad seats and the 12 seats for refugees settled in different regions.

What has happened so far:

Polling postponed in LA-27 due to rain; 4 other seats up for grabs in Muzaffarabad district, 2 each in Neelum and Jhelum Valley
Voting held across country for 12 refugee seats — 7 in Punjab, other 5 divided between different provinces
Bilawal condemns ‘attack’ on party’s regional president, says PPP worker killed in LA-31
PML-N disputes PPP claim, says man died from heart failure
PPP alleges electoral malpractices at some polling stations in at least 11 constituencies

Continuing his rigging allegations, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday accused the PML-N of “robbing” votes in the second phase of the AJK elections as well.

In a post on X later in the day, he condemned an “attack” on the party’s regional president, Chaudhry Latif Akbar — also the candidate for LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-V).

Accusing “miscreant elements of the PML-N” of being behind the incident, Bilawal said PPP worker Mushtaq Shah was killed in the same constituency.

“The PML-N is robbing the votes of the people of Azad Kashmir through bullets, batons and coercion,” he alleged.

The PPP chairman demanded that those responsible for the attack on Akbar and the “murderers” of the party worker be arrested immediately.

In a separate statement, Bilawal said, “The PML-N has crossed all limits. Attacks are taking place on our voters and the president of the state (AJK).”

He remarked that in Muzaffarabad, the PPP’s “politics of dignity and principles was in contest with the PML-N’s threat, rigging and coercion”.

The PPP shared a complaint written to the Election Commission regarding a “physical assault” on Akbar.

The party said the LA-31 candidate was “engaged in the electoral process on polling day” when the alleged incident took place, accusing three individuals.

It said a first information report (FIR) was being registered and urged the Election Commission to order an inquiry into the “security lapse” that resulted in the incident.

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who belongs to the PPP, took notice of the incident and ordered the chief secretary and the police chief to take those responsible to justice.

The AJK PM termed the attack “a slap on the politics of dignity and principle in Kashmir”.

Akbar also wrote two letters to the Election Commission. In one, he alleged that an attempt on his life was made at Polling Station 177 “by PML-N workers” and wrote of the PPP worker’s death.

He further claimed that his polling agents were not allowed to “sit in the polling area” at 14 polling stations.

In the second letter, Akbar said PPP leader Syed Mumtaz Hussain Naqvi sustained bullet wounds in a “[murderous] attack” at a polling station in a building.

Addressing a press conference, PPP leader Nayyar Hussain Bokhari claimed that eight party workers had been injured in the ongoing elections so far.

Bokhari contended there was a “state of lawlessness” in AJK.

Polls in AJK are being held in three phases over security concerns, with the first set of polls held in Mirpur division on July 27, the second held today, and the third phase set for August 10 across Poonch division.

Ahead of today’s elections, internet services were restored in parts of Muzaffarabad division after remaining suspended for 54 days on July 29. At the time, it was not clear whether the restoration covered the entire division or was limited to the state capital.

Addressing the media on Sunday, the AJK CEC said that a letter had been written yesterday to request the restoration of internet services.

He added that the outcome would be known today, without providing further details.

“We will work according to the law; we will not come under pressure from anyone,” CEC Mughal said to a question.

Preliminary, unofficial results

According to preliminary and unofficial results, the PML-N was leading in seven constituencies, while the PPP was ahead in three as vote counting continued in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) local elections.

The PML-N was leading in LA-25 by 1,364 votes, LA-29 by 379 votes, LA-30 by 247 votes, LA-31 by 2,934 votes, LA-32 by 892 votes, LA-35 (Jammu-II) by 18,788 votes and LA-36 (Jammu-III) by 10,002 votes.

Meanwhile, the PPP was ahead in LA-26 by 1,745 votes, LA-28 by 1,782 votes and LA-33 by 1,349 votes.

In constituencies where the PML-N was leading, the PPP was running second except in LA-35, where an independent candidate was in second place. Where the PPP was ahead, the PML-N was in second position, according to preliminary and unofficial results.

Charter of Democracy signed between the PPP and the PML-N in 2007, stressing that its purpose was not to let democratic processes be sabotaged.

Noting that the PPP was in power in AJK and had its administrative machinery in the region, the PML-N leader questioned if Bilawal’s “own government is carrying out rigging against you”.

She remarked that if one considered the PPP’s allegations to be true, the party would have to “accept” that its own government “carried out rigging against Bilawal”.

Aurangzeb said the PPP-led administration was preventing the transportation of the required electoral equipment.

She also commented on Bokhari showing ballot papers stamped with votes for PML-N, saying, “This is an election of thousands of votes. He was showing two stamps on two ballot papers.”

The Punjab minister took aim at the PPP’s governance, saying that it had nothing to show for its performance. She quipped that voters were yet to head to polling stations early in the morning while the PPP had already started holding media talks on rigging.

Aurangzeb said that if the PPP still had reservations, there were relevant platforms such as the Election Commission and tribunals to approach, rather than hold press conferences.

“Contest the elections. Do not cry out loud,” she said.

“Unfortunately, a democratic party, which is also a signatory to the Charter of Democracy, has been alleging rigging since 10:30 in the morning,” he said while addressing the media in Islamabad.

Flanked by Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam, Sanaullah claimed that the second phase of polls in AJK was conducted in a “peaceful manner”.

The inter-provincial coordination minister said the electoral process was completed at 96 per cent of polling stations, adding that vote counting was underway.

Sanaullah maintained that it was the “most transparent and non-violent electoral process”, adding that a few incidents had occurred during the day.

Referring to the alleged attack on PPP leader Akbar, Sanaullah said it was a dispute involving another family in the area and that there had been “no physical confrontation”, only a verbal argument.

Contesting the PPP’s claim about the second reported incident involving a party worker, the PML-N leader said a citizen named Mushtaq was involved in a scuffle with his family members, one of whom pushed him.

“He reportedly went home afterwards and then suffered a heart attack as he was a cardiac patient. They [PPP] claimed that shots were fired, but not a single bullet was fired,” the premier’s adviser asserted.

Sanaullah added that the PML-N condoled his death, but that the “deceased individual was not a PPP worker”.

enthusiasm”.

Several posts highlighted that a large number of voters were flocking to the PML-N’s election camps, rather than those of rival parties.

The PML-N also wrote to the Election Commission in response to a PPP complaint about LA-40 (Valley-I), terming the latter’s allegations against its candidate Muhammad Naeem Khan as “baseless”.

In the letter, seen by Dawn, the PML-N asserted that the allegations “regarding administrative failures are unsubstantiated and appear to be an attempt to create unnecessary controversy around the polling process”.

The PML-N urged the electoral watchdog to ensure that “no misleading or politically motivated complaint is allowed to undermine public confidence in the integrity of the polling”.

accused PML-N supporters of “ballot stuffing”. It further said that a government employee had been deployed as a polling agent for the PML-N at a separate polling station.

In LA-30 (Muzaffarabad-IV), the PPP claimed PML-N workers removed a ballot box at the Banaw Langah polling station and placed it outside, where they were allegedly “stamping ballot papers”.

In Charakhpora Union Council of LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-V), the PPP said “bogus voting” was taking place at the Sharik Kamal Bandi-Khalsa polling station.

The party said the alleged act “directly subverts the integrity of the poll”, adding that the polling station also did not have adequate security despite being declared “sensitive”.

The PPP also alleged a PML-N MPA at a polling station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad of obstructing the voting process for the refugee seat of LA-45 (Kashmir-VI).

In LA-25 (Neelum-I), the PPP said the voting process at a polling station had been halted after reports emerged of PML-N supporters tearing up ballot papers.

The PPP also said its polling agents at a polling station in LA-25’s Khawaja Sari reported that “fraudulent votes are being cast” there. It urged the Election Commission to dispatch officials and law enforcement to halt the alleged action.

Sharing another letter addressed to the Election Commission about LA-34, the PPP said “elected members” of the PML-N were present inside a Pakpattan polling station and “stamping ballot papers”.

It further claimed that its polling agent was “barred from entering the same polling station”.

“The deliberate exclusion of the PPP’s oversight representative while PML-N’s own elected officials conduct fraud inside the station is not a coincidence — it is a coordinated strategy to commit electoral fraud without any independent witness,” it alleged.

The party urged the electoral watchdog to dispatch law enforcement to the polling station and remove the PML-N supporters allegedly involved in “ballot stuffing”.

Regarding LA-42 (Valley-III), the PPP filed a complaint over party candidate Asim Sharif Butt’s polling agent being “physically prevented” from entering a polling station in Muzaffargarh’s Alipur Tehsil.

The PPP also claimed its polling agents at three polling stations in LA-30 (Muzaffarabad-IV) were denied from observing the electoral process.

Similarly, the party said polling agents of candidate Ishfaq Zaffar were not permitted to take their seats at three polling stations in LA-32 (Muzaffarabad-VI).

Terming it a “serious violation” of the electoral code of conduct, the PPP sought disciplinary action against the presiding officers who allegedly refused the agents from discharging their duties.

At one of those polling stations, the PPP claimed a “violent confrontation” was underway between supporters of PML-N candidate Raja Farooq Haider and PPP supporters.

statement in the morning, the party claimed that no polling staff was present at any of the 196 polling stations in LA-27, adding that this raised the concern that there was a “deliberate” attempt to delay the polling.

Similarly, the party alleged that polling staff had reached late at 71 polling stations of LA-28, due to which the voting process was facing delays. The PPP claimed that a similar situation was being witnessed at several polling stations of LA-30, where polling staff had not arrived on time.

Regarding LA-31, the PPP said it had written to the Election Commission on behalf of its candidate Akbar, urging it to take action over difficulties faced by voters due to the closure of the Rangla-Katkair Road in Muzaffarabad.

The party said over 50 vehicles carrying voters were stuck due to the road’s closure.

PML-N slams ‘blame game’

Earlier in the day, PML-N’s Muqam called on political parties not to indulge in a “blame game”.

“Nothing is to be gained from a blame game,” he said during a press conference in Islamabad, adding that law enforcement personnel were also deployed to ensure security.

“They should not act in a manner that ‘why was I not given seats’,” Muqam said, stressing that it was the public whose votes allocate seats.

The minister urged all political parties to let the electoral process take place in a peaceful manner, stressing that making allegations without evidence cannot change the results.

At the same time, Muqam also highlighted “arbitrary transfers and administrative decisions” in AJK, where the PPP is in power. He said the moves “seemed discriminatory”.

He recalled that the PML-N had accepted the results of elections in Gilgit-Baltistan held in June, where the PPP emerged the winner and formed the government.

Defending the results from Mirpur, Muqam asserted that the people voted for PML-N due to its performance.

On the other hand, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan also held a press conference where he called on the Election Commission to play its role in “proving” the election process in AJK to be free and fair.

“Azad Kashmir is an international issue … people’s eyes are on it,” the former MNA said, adding that if the commission did not recognise the public and assure a free election, “tomorrow we will not be able to ratify this election under any circumstance”.

He recalled that after the Mirpur polls, there was a detailed discussion within the party about boycotting the second and third phases. However, the party leadership refused the idea of a boycott.

Chan cautioned that if the PPP was “compelled” to move towards such steps for the third phase, it would benefit those who wanted to prove the election “dirty”.

“I see this becoming an ultra Form-47 election,” he said.

He said that in negotiations in Muzaffarabad, the PPP had provided proof of rigging in four constituencies, as well as agreeing to hold re-polling in any other constituencies in which there were objections.

He also called for a benchmark for voting, saying, “General polling was less than 30 per cent. But wherever you won, it was 80pc, 90pc, 75pc … this doesn’t even happen in urban cities like Islamabad and Lahore.”