Violence and Allegations of Rigging Mar AJK Elections on Opening Day

A PPP worker died during clashes with PML-N supporters in Kotli district’s Nakyal tehsil on Monday as the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections unfolded in Mirpur division. The attack occurred amid ongoing scuffles between party workers, with the PPP alleging that PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem’s forces were responsible, though no immediate response from the PML-N has been issued.

Polling began at 8am and was extended to 6pm to accommodate delays. In LA-9 Kotli-II, the electoral process faced violence in the afternoon, prompting PPP AJK Election Cell Incharge Sardar Abdul Shakoor to demand arrests, restored law and order, and enhanced security for voters. “Our worker Mukhtar Younus was killed during armed confrontations and public harassment,” Shakoor stated, urging authorities to act swiftly.

Prime Minister’s Cabinet Member Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the violence, sharing reports that Younus had been killed by firing attributed to Naeem. He questioned the Election Commission’s inaction after a video surfaced last week showing alleged gunfire by PML-N workers. “How many more lives must be lost before justice is served?” Bhutto-Zardari asked, linking the death to broader allegations of political interference.

Throughout the day, polling stations in Kotli saw brief suspensions due to worker exchanges between PPP and PML-N. Both parties accused each other of rigging. In LA-12, Shakoor claimed PML-N candidate Raja Riasat Khan entered polling stations with armed men to influence votes. Similarly, PPP alleged meddling in LA-8’s Raj Mahal station, urging the Election Commission to intervene.

In Bhimber, PML-N accused IPP candidate Ali Shan Soni of burning ballot papers at the Baba Shadi Shaheed station. District leader Raja Azhar Iqbal lodged a complaint over the incident, which police are investigating as ballot materials for over 500 voters were reportedly destroyed.

PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah alleged pre-poll rigging in Kotli’s LA-10, accusing PPP President Chaudhry Yasin of involvement. An audio clip aired on Geo News pressured the AJK government to arrest Patwari Qaiser, who allegedly misused polling materials. The Election Commission reported arresting two presiding officers for failing to report to stations, though an FIR lists three individuals, including Qaiser, Saqib Faryad, and Mazahir Aslam, facing charges under local election laws.

To bolster security, 2,100 army personnel and paramilitary forces were deployed across 2,316 polling stations, with 1,241 designated “highly sensitive.” AJK IGP Liaqat Ali Malik confirmed polls were largely peaceful despite reported scuffles, while Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan cast his vote in Bhimber. Election authorities warned that disruptions would trigger “strict legal consequences,” following JAAC’s threats of a Mirpur-to-Muzaffarabad march.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif engaged in a public rivalry, with Bilawal rejecting political “gifts” like PML-N’s donation of electric buses, stating, “Public resources are not gifts but rights.” Meanwhile, Nanoaz Sharif had previously mocked Bilawal by comparing Mirpur to Karachi’s districts, a dig Bilawal countered by emphasizing “residents’ refusal to bend.”

Despite tensions, polls continued under heightened security. PPP’s Nadeem Afzal Chan accused the PML-N of monopolizing resources, demanding neutrality. “Transparent elections are non-negotiable,” he declared, as QRF teams maintained readiness to contain crises.

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