Vote counting begins as polling ends in second phase of AJK elections

Polling concluded on Sunday for the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections in eight constituencies of the Muzaffarabad Division and all 12 refugee seats, with vote counting now under way, Aaj News reported.

Under the Election Commission’s schedule, polling was held from 8am to 5pm. However, polling hours in the eight Muzaffarabad constituencies were extended until 6pm, while polling for the refugee seats continued until 5pm at polling stations set up across Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan.

The Election Commission postponed polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad after heavy rainfall and landslides blocked several roads, preventing election staff and materials from reaching polling stations on time. Voting in the constituency has been rescheduled for August 4.

Counting of votes began immediately after polling ended, while voters already present inside polling stations were allowed to cast their ballots.

The AJK elections are being held in three phases. The first phase was conducted in the Mirpur Division on July 27, the second phase took place on Sunday, while polling in the Poonch Division is scheduled for August 10.

More than 300 candidates contested the eight Muzaffarabad Division seats and 12 refugee constituencies. Of the refugee seats, seven are allocated to voters residing in Punjab, while the remaining seats are distributed across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad.

According to the Election Commission, 895,066 registered voters were eligible to vote in the Muzaffarabad Division, including 427,400 men and 382,167 women. The 12 refugee constituencies have 438,834 registered voters, including 247,776 men and 191,054 women.

A total of 1,483 polling stations were established in the Muzaffarabad Division, of which 533 were declared highly sensitive, 741 sensitive, and 209 normal. For the refugee constituencies, 1,057 polling stations were set up nationwide.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of electoral irregularities, violence and rigging during the second phase of polling.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that the PML-N was attempting to “steal the public mandate,” claiming that AJK PPP President and LA-31 candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar was attacked, while party worker Mushtaq Shah was killed in the same constituency.

In a letter to the Election Commission, the PPP demanded an investigation into the alleged attack on Latif Akbar and sought action over what it termed security lapses. The party said it had submitted 25 complaints relating to 11 constituencies, but had yet to receive an official response.

The PML-N rejected the allegations as baseless in its written reply to the Election Commission.

Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam said law enforcement agencies had been deployed to maintain peace and urged political parties to avoid making accusations, saying election results should be decided by the people’s vote.

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also dismissed the PPP’s claims, noting that the PPP itself was in power in AJK and was accusing its own administration of rigging. Referring to the death of the PPP worker, she said Bilawal was aware that the elderly man had suffered a heart attack during a scuffle between two groups. She expressed confidence that the PML-N, after performing strongly in the Mirpur Division, would also secure victories in the Muzaffarabad Division and refugee constituencies.