The opening phase of the AJK elections 2026 got underway on Monday, as residents across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division headed to polling stations to elect their representatives to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Voting began at 8am and is scheduled to run until 5pm. Nearly 300 candidates are in the race, drawn from major parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, along with a number of independents.
Voter Turnout and Polling Infrastructure
Election officials confirmed that more than 1.4 million registered voters are eligible to participate across the Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts that make up Mirpur Division. Of these, male voters slightly outnumber female voters, at roughly 725,000 versus 675,000.
To accommodate this electorate, authorities set up 2,454 polling stations throughout the division. Mirpur district alone hosts nearly 600 stations spread across four constituencies, while Kotli’s six constituencies contain over 1,100 stations. Bhimber’s three constituencies round out the total with just over 600 stations.
Officials say tight security measures were rolled out ahead of polling day. AJK’s Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, cautioned that anyone caught trying to disrupt voting would face legal consequences.
AJK Chief Secretary Khushhal Khan echoed similar sentiments, stating that the region’s residents had turned their backs on elements seeking to destabilize the process. He assured the public that government institutions were fully geared up to guarantee a peaceful vote, and reiterated that troublemakers would be dealt with under the law.
PPP Accuses PML-N of Undermining Kashmir Election Credibility
Senator Sherry Rehman, PPP’s vice president, hit out at PML-N, accusing the party of trying to cast doubt on the credibility of the Kashmir election process. She suggested this was rooted in anxiety over a possible loss at the polls.
Rehman argued that Kashmiris are politically astute enough to make their own choices, pointing to what she called a long-standing bond between the region’s people and her party. She questioned PML-N’s objections to a potential PPP win, insisting that no amount of maneuvering could override the will of the voters. According to her, the outcome would favor the PPP regardless of the tactics used against it.
PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri added that Kashmiris would soon deliver their judgment through the ballot. She framed the party’s arrow symbol as an emblem of optimism for Mirpur residents, and claimed opposing camps had gone quiet in the run-up to voting day.
In a joint video appeal with his sister Asifa Bhutto-Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari encouraged citizens to turn out and vote if they wanted Kashmir’s future placed in the hands of its own people, urging supporters to back PPP candidates by marking the arrow symbol.
Meanwhile, veteran PPP figure Nadeem Afzal Chan raised alarm over alleged federal meddling and misuse of government resources during the AJK elections 2026. He pressed for a transparent and impartial vote, calling on federal authorities to keep their hands off the electoral process.
Clash and Burnt Ballot Box Disrupt Voting in Bhimber
Tensions flared in constituency LA-6 Bhimber, where supporters of two rival parties clashed at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed polling station.
PML-N candidate Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry blamed opposing party workers for triggering the confrontation, and further accused IPP supporters of causing unrest at Polling Station No. 95. He said voting was halted at both locations as a result.
The District Returning Officer verified that a disturbance had indeed occurred at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed station, where unidentified individuals seized a ballot box containing 232 votes and set it alight.
Officials noted that the returning officer and security staff remained on-site, and legal proceedings would follow against those responsible. A ruling on whether re-polling will be ordered at the affected station is still pending, though the DRO said conditions elsewhere remained calm.
Separately, the DRO revealed that former prime minister Anwarul Haq had filed a complaint concerning constituency LA-7. He confirmed personally inspecting the relevant polling stations, where Haq’s polling agents were present at the time.
As the first phase of the AJK elections 2026 draws to a close later Monday, attention will now turn to how authorities handle the Bhimber incident and whether it affects the final results in Mirpur Division.
