Voters across Azad Jammu and Kashmir headed to polling stations on Sunday as the second phase of the AJK elections got underway, covering nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad division along with all 12 refugee constituencies. Polling opened at 8am and will run until 5pm.
In Muzaffarabad division, ballots are being cast across five seats in Muzaffarabad district, two in Jhelum Valley, and two in Neelum, with 207 candidates in contention. At the same time, voters are choosing representatives for all 12 refugee constituencies, split evenly between six seats reserved for those displaced from the Kashmir Valley and six reserved for refugees from the Jammu region. A total of 137 candidates are contesting these refugee seats.
This phase follows the first round of the AJK elections, held in Mirpur division on August 27, in which the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took nine of the available seats. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) picked up four of the 13 contested seats in that round.
PPP Alleges Rigging in First Phase
The PPP has publicly accused the PML-N of manipulating results during the first phase of voting, an allegation the PML-N has firmly denied. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari told reporters that his party had documented 30 polling stations where turnout figures reached 99%, and vowed to pursue every legal and constitutional avenue to reclaim the party’s seats.
Ahead of Sunday’s voting, AJK Election Commission Secretary and Senior Member Muhammad Ahsan, speaking at a joint press briefing on Saturday, encouraged citizens to turn out and vote. He described the ballot as the clearest expression of public will and the primary channel through which voters shape lawmaking through their chosen representatives.
As the second phase of the AJK elections progressed, the PPP’s Azad Jammu and Kashmir chapter filed a formal complaint with Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, citing irregularities at a specific polling station. Sardar Abdul Shakoor, who heads the PPP AJK election cell, alleged that PML-N supporters were stamping ballots at polling station 24 in constituency LA-32.
Shakoor argued that the alleged conduct undermined the transparency of the vote and breached both the election code of conduct and the rules governing the neutrality of government staff during elections. He asked the Election Commission to halt the activity immediately, secure the disputed ballot papers, and remove the government employee serving as polling agent at that station. He further called on the commission to launch a formal investigation and take action against anyone found responsible.
The third and final phase of the AJK elections is scheduled for August 10 in Poonch Division, which will complete the electoral cycle for the region’s legislative assembly.