MQM‑P Supports PML‑N Candidates in Mirpur Division Elections

Maryam Nawaz shared a video showing green buses arriving in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The PPP alleged violations of the election code of conduct, while the Election Commissioner warned against new schemes and reviewed preparations. A total of 2,316 polling stations have been established across the division. The MQM‑P announced its withdrawal of candidates in favor of PML‑N contenders.

In Muzaffarabad, the PML‑N and its coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), are poised to contest the Mirpur Division elections on Monday. Electioneering concluded at midnight amid PPP allegations of pre‑poll rigging and a warning from the AJK Election Commission that no entity would be permitted to breach the code of conduct.

On Saturday, the Election Commission reiterated its stance that no individual or institution may violate the code of conduct, amid controversy over campaign‑related development promises.

Although the statement did not name any individual or party, it followed remarks by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who pledged electric buses and mobile hospitals during rallies in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.

These announcements prompted the PPP to approach the Election Commission, urging it to address what it called blatant violations of the code of conduct and election laws.

In a related development, the MQM‑P announced its support for PML‑N candidates in the AJK elections by withdrawing its own candidates.

The announcement followed a meeting between a PML‑N delegation, headed by Sindh President Bashir Memon and Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani, and MQM‑P leaders at the party’s Bahadurabad headquarters in Karachi.

Speaking afterward, MQM‑P leader Dr. Farooq Sattar stated that candidates from various constituencies, including reserved seats for refugees, would withdraw in favor of PML‑N nominees. He added that a PML‑N victory in the Azad Kashmir elections would also represent a win for the MQM‑P.

An Election Commission spokesperson clarified that federal and provincial ministers may participate in electioneering in AJK but are prohibited from using official protocol, government resources, or state machinery for electoral purposes.

The spokesperson warned that any announcement of new development schemes, financial packages, public facilities, or welfare projects during the campaign would constitute a violation of the code of conduct. Vehicles, equipment, relief goods, or other facilities dispatched by federal or provincial governments during the election period will be confiscated and dealt with according to the law.

The spokesperson called on all ministers, candidates, and political parties to strictly adhere to the code of conduct to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections and preserve public confidence.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz confirmed the arrival of the green buses in Muzaffarabad and shared a video showing the vehicles bearing posters with her portrait alongside local PML‑N leaders.

The controversy intensified a day earlier when PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari met Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mughal and sought action regarding the transfer of ten electric buses bearing Ms. Nawaz’s picture to the AJK administration.

\”The Punjab government’s move of handing over electric buses featuring Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s photos to the AJK government is political bribery,\” Mr. Bukhari said.

At a press conference in Muzaffarabad, Mr. Bukhari reiterated his party’s concerns about alleged violations of the code of conduct. He called for an immediate ban on the participation of federal ministers and the Punjab chief minister in the campaign and urged the Election Commission to enforce the code strictly.

He maintained that, while the PPP was not opposed to providing public facilities, it questioned why such initiatives were announced only during the campaign. \”If the Punjab government genuinely wished to extend such facilities to AJK, it could have done so before the election schedule was announced or after the polls,\” he said.

He said the Election Commission should take immediate notice of the matter; otherwise, the credibility of the code of conduct would be undermined.

Meanwhile, PPP Central Information Secretary Shazia Marri posted a statement on X saying that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto‑Zardari was striving for \”a bright and empowered future\” for the people of Kashmir.

Ms. Marri urged the PML‑N to present its programme for Kashmir rather than attacking its political opponents.

CEC Chairs Meeting

Meanwhile, Chief Election Commissioner (retired) Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal chaired a meeting in Mirpur to review preparations for the 2026 general elections.

The meeting was attended by Election Commission Secretary Raja Muhammad Shakeel, District Returning Officers Jahangir Ahmed Jaral (Mirpur), Muhammad Idrees Bhatti (Kotli), and Hafiz Sardar Muhammad Akram Khan (Bhimber), along with returning officers, Mirpur Divisional Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz, Deputy Inspector General of Police Kamran Ali, and others.

After the returning officers briefed the meeting on election arrangements in their respective districts, Commissioner Mumtaz stated that all preparations for the elections had been finalised across the three districts of Mirpur Division.

He noted that the division had 1,400,437 registered voters, comprising 724,811 men and 675,626 women.

A total of 2,316 polling stations had been established, including 1,241 declared highly sensitive, 724 sensitive and 351 normal.

He noted that LA‑3 (Mirpur City) had the highest number of contestants, with 34 candidates, while 288 candidates were contesting elections across the division’s 13 constituencies.

To oversee polling and security arrangements, the administration established 13 zones and 205 sectors across the division, with enhanced security measures at sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations.

DIG Ali informed the meeting that 18,560 personnel from the police and other law‑enforcement agencies would be deployed across Mirpur Division for security.

The deployment includes 5,536 personnel in Mirpur district, 4,504 in Bhimmer, and 8,520 in Kotli. He noted that a three‑tier security plan had been devised, with the police as the first tier, civil armed forces as the second, and the Pakistan Army as the third.

The second tier would comprise personnel from the Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), and the Federal Constabulary, while 2,100 Pakistan Army troops would also be deployed to assist with election security.

The DIG said all security forces would operate under an integrated security plan on polling day, July 27.

Meanwhile, AJK Secretary for Information, Muhammad Rashid Hanif, and Director of Information, Tariq Jamil Durrani, urged journalists and media organisations to ensure responsible, impartial, and professional coverage of the elections.

Source link