Close contest sees ‘N’ take the lead in Mirpur polls

AI Summary

Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections in Mirpur featured a close contest with the PML-N leading seven constituencies and PPP five, amid violence and allegations of rigging. The Chief Election Commissioner called the polls the most difficult in AJK history, highlighting electoral challenges and candidate disputes.

• One seat still contested; unofficial results show PML-N on top in seven constituencies; PPP ahead in five • One killed, two injured in Nakyal violence • PPP alleges ‘rigging, ballot stuffing’ by ‘N’ candidates in Kotli • TTAP says electoral process failed to inspire ‘public confidence’ • PTI insists ‘minimal’ voter turnout reflects ‘discontent’ MIRPUR: Scuffles, violence and allegations of rigging marred the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections on Monday, as polling concluded in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur division with the PML-N seemingly in command, taking the lead on seven seats against the PPP’s five. According to unofficial and unverified results available at the time of going to press, the PML-N appeared to have swept all three seats in Bhimber district, claimed two out of four constituencies in Mirpur district and three out of six in Kotli district. At a late-night presser, Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal announced the official result for LA-1 (Mirpur-I). The CEC said PML-N’s Azhar Sadiq was successful with 15,427 votes, while his opponent Muhammad Afzal Shahid trailed with 9,832 votes. The rest of the results were in the pipeline, he said, adding that they would be released in due course. In Mirpur district, Chaudhry Rukhsar was leading in Kharri Sharif, while the PPP’s Yasir Sultan was winning in Mirpur city. Meanwhile, incumbent PPP Finance Minister Qasim Majeed retained the Chakswari seat. In Bhimber district, PML-N’s Chaudhry Tariq Farooq led former AJK PM Chaudhry Anwarul Haq by a comfortable margin, while Waqar Ahmed Noor and Chaudhry Razzaq also had a comfortable lead in their respective constituencies. Kotli district saw a 4-2 split, with the PPP’s Zafar Iqbal Malik ahead in LA-8 (Kotli-I), party president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin comfortably ahead in both LA-10 (Kotli-III) and LA-12 (Kotli-V). The LA-11 (Kotli-IV) constituency was closely contested between PPP’s Chaudhry Akhlaq and PML-N’s Raja Asif, with no clear winner emerging overnight. Meanwhile, the PML-N was leading on two seats, with Sardar Umair Naeem ahead in LA-9 (Kotli-II), and Raja Ijaz Ahmed set to clinch LA-13 (Kotli-VI). In his remarks, the chief election commissioner termed these polls “the most difficult” in the history of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, for reasons that “everyone is aware of”. While one or two isolated incidents do occur during elections, political parties often misrepresent them by blowing those occurrences out of proportion, without investigating them, he said. CEC Mughal said that a presiding officer and his attached patwari, who were said to have gone into a private Kotli residence along with the election materials, were arrested and replaced with fresh personnel, and the polling material was recovered. He also referred to a constituency in Raj Mahal where polling could not be held due to a disturbance, as well as the death of a political worker in Nakyal. However, he insisted the polling process was completed smoothly, despite the tragedy. Polling and violence Polling began at 8am and continued until 6pm across the three districts of Mirpur division — Bhimber, Mirpur and Kotli — after voting hours were extended by one hour. A total of 288 candidates contested the 13 seats, although the principal contest was between the ruling PML-N and the PPP. According to the Election Commission, voting was held at 2,316 polling stations, of which 1,241 were declared highly sensitive and 724 sensitive. In Mirpur city, voter turnout remained sluggish during the morning, with polling officials attributing it to the hot and humid weather and the tendency of urban voters to head to polling stations later in the day. “Firstly, it’s hot and humid, and secondly, many urban voters wake up late on a holiday,” a polling agent said. Officials said turnout was noticeably higher in rural and peripheral areas. While minor scuffles between PPP and PML-N workers were reported in Kotli district earlier in the day, polling turned violent in LA-9 Kotli-II (Nakyal) in the afternoon. In a post on X, the PPP claimed that its worker, Mukhtar Younus, was killed during “incidents of display of arms and public harassment” by supporters of their rival candidate. Mirpur Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz confirmed that one man was killed and two others, including the deceased’s father, were injured in the incident. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also condemned the killing, alleging that Younus had been killed in firing by Naeem. “My worker has been martyred in Mirpur’s Nakyal. Where are the relevant authorities? What is the Election Commission doing?” he asked in a statement. Elsewhere, supporters of Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Ali Shan Soni allegedly snatched ballot boxes from a polling station in LA-6 (Samahni), according to the Mirpur commissioner. Videos circulating on social media appeared to show armed men firing during the disturban