MIRPUR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday took an early lead in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, winning five of the first seven declared seats after polling concluded in 13 constituencies of the Mirpur Division, with the vote was marred by scuffles and allegations of rigging.
The process of receiving unofficial and provisional results was underway till the filing of this report.
According to the complete, unofficial results from seven of the 13 constituencies, the PML-N has won five seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has secured two.
According to details, PML-N candidates emerged victorious in LA-1 Mirpur, LA-4 Mirpur, LA-7 Bhimber-3, and LA-9 Kotli-2, while PPP candidates won LA-2 Mirpur and LA-3 Mirpur.
Voters cast their ballots in all 13 constituencies across the three districts of the Mirpur Division- Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber. Polling began at 8:00 a.m. and continued until 6:00 p.m. Special security arrangements were put in place to ensure the maintenance of law and order throughout the voting process.
The elections are being held in three phases under a revised schedule announced by AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on July 21.
The first phase covers all 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, while polling in Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies will be held on August 2, followed by Poonch (Rawalakot) Division on August 10.
Polling commenced at 8am with police, the Pakistan Army, Rangers and other law enforcement personnel deployed at polling stations to ensure a peaceful electoral process. More than 1.4 million registered voters are eligible to vote across Mirpur Division’s 13 constituencies, comprising four seats in Mirpur district, three in Bhimber and six in Kotli.
The Election Commission has established 2,454 polling stations and 3,701 polling booths, while around 22,000 election officials have been deployed to conduct the polling process.
Authorities have declared 1,965 polling stations as sensitive or highly sensitive. To maintain law and order, more than 19,000 security personnel have been deployed across the division, including 17,000 police personnel, while 2,100 Army troops remain on standby as a backup force.
A total of 288 candidates contested Monday’s election. According to the Election Commission, votes were to be cast at 2,316 polling stations, of which 1,241 were declared “highly sensitive” and 724 “sensitive”.
Election monitoring was organised through 13 zones and 205 sectors across the division, while 18,560 personnel from police and other law enforcement agencies were deployed under a three-tier security plan.
Under the arrangement, police provided the first layer of security, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Federal Constabulary the second, and the Pakistan Army the third. Around 2,100 army personnel were also to be deployed, while Quick Response Force (QRF) teams were to remain on standby to respond to any emergency.
While minor skirmishes and scuffles between PPP and PML-N workers in Kotli district were reported earlier in the day, the electoral process took a violent turn in the afternoon in LA-9 Kotli-II (Nakyal).
In a statement on X, the PPP claimed that party worker Mukhtar Younus “died during incidents of display of arms and public harassment by PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem”.
Mirpur Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz confirmed that a man was killed and two others, including the deceased’s father, were injured in an incident.
On the other hand, the PML-N claimed that Younus had been involved in its election campaign activities.
PPP chairman
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari condemned the killing of party worker Mukhtar Younus, saying he had been informed that the worker was shot by supporters of PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem.
“My worker has been martyred in Mirpur Nakyal. Where are the authorities? What is the Election Commission doing?” he said.
He said a video had surfaced two days earlier showing the candidate and his associates allegedly displaying weapons and firing into the air, adding that “if the authorities had taken notice then, today we would not have had to pay the price of a human life.”
He said Younus had been actively campaigning for PPP candidate Javed Budhanvi and alleged that the party’s opponents had resorted to such tactics because they feared defeat.
PPP Parliamentarians Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri also condemned the killing, expressing condolences to Younus’ family and calling for the immediate arrest of those responsible. She said attempts to sabotage peaceful elections through violence were unacceptable and added that attacks on political workers and voters would not weaken the PPP’s resolve.
FIR
Ahead of the voting, the PML-N alleged pre-poll rigging in Kotli’s LA-10 constituency. Rana Sanaullah, who is also the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, alleged that PPP President in AJK Chaudhry Yasin was involved in election rigging and that presiding officers involved in the act had been apprehended.
Sanaullah said the election results in the constituency would not be acceptable to his party until the completion of this “inquiry”.
While there was no official statement from the AJK government explicitly referring to the incident, a statement by the Election Commission said two presiding officers in Kotli had been arrested after it was reported that instead of reaching the relevant polling stations they had gone to “a residence”.
The Election Commission said “both presiding officers” were arrested and suspended from their duties, and legal action was being initiated against them under the law.
A statement by the Press Information Department said two new presiding officers had been deployed in their place at the relevant polling stations, after confiscating the polling material provided to the apprehended officials.
However, a first information report (FIR) filed about the incident named three presiding officers.
The FIR was registered on Sunday night at City Police Station Kotli under provisions of the local election act and penal code.