PML-N leads AJK polls as PPP alleges rigging

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has maintained a lead in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections on Sunday, securing 14 of the 18 constituencies for which unofficial and provisional results were available, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won four seats but alleged widespread rigging and violence during polling.

The second phase covered nine territorial constituencies in Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies across Pakistan. While counting continued, polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I and at 71 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II was postponed until Tuesday after landslides and adverse weather prevented polling staff and election materials from reaching the affected areas.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission extended polling by one hour in the territorial constituencies after delays in the arrival of polling staff and election materials disrupted voting at several stations. Voting in the refugee constituencies concluded at the scheduled time.

Polling was largely peaceful but was marred by sporadic clashes in parts of Muzaffarabad. In LA-31, rival workers of the PML-N and PPP clashed, with the PPP alleging that party worker Syed Mushtaq Shah was killed by PML-N supporters. The PML-N rejected the allegation, saying the man suffered cardiac arrest following a scuffle.

The PPP rejected the electoral process, alleging intimidation, interference at polling stations and denial of voting rights.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari accused the PML-N of “robbing” the public mandate through “bullets, batons and coercion” and said that the ruling party had “crossed all limits”.

Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar submitted complaints to the Election Commission, alleging security failures, attacks on party workers and irregularities at polling stations. PPP leaders said that multiple complaints had been filed and insisted the elections could not be regarded as free and fair.

The PML-N rejected the allegations. Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah stated that Bilawal had been misled and maintained that only a handful of isolated incidents had occurred during polling.

He said the dispute involving Chaudhry Latif Akbar stemmed from a local altercation rather than a politically motivated attack.