AJK polling extended amid rain, PPP alleges election violence

AJK polling extended amid rain, PPP alleges election violence

Polling continued on Sunday in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, with voters casting ballots in eight of the nine constituencies in the Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies.

The polling process began at 8am and was initially scheduled to conclude at 5pm. However, an AJK Election Commission spokesperson announced a one-hour extension, allowing voters to cast their ballots until 6pm.

Heavy rainfall forced authorities to postpone polling in LA-27 (Muzaffarabad-I), AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said.

More than 300 candidates are contesting the seats in the Muzaffarabad division and the 12 constituencies reserved for refugees settled in various parts of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari renewed his allegations of electoral irregularities, accusing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of attempting to influence the voting process during the second phase as well.

In a post on X, Bilawal condemned what he described as an attack on PPP’s regional president Chaudhry Latif Akbar, who is also contesting from LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-V). He alleged that elements linked to the PML-N were responsible for the incident and claimed that PPP worker Mushtaq Shah was killed in the same constituency.

Bilawal accused the PML-N of using intimidation and violence to interfere with the electoral process and called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the alleged attack on Akbar and the killing of the party worker.

In another statement, the PPP chairman alleged that attacks had targeted his party’s voters as well as the AJK president. He said the contest in Muzaffarabad had turned into a struggle between the PPP’s political principles and what he described as the PML-N’s use of threats, coercion and alleged rigging.

The PPP also submitted a formal complaint to the AJK Election Commission, alleging that Akbar faced a physical assault while participating in election-related activities on polling day. The party named three individuals in connection with the incident and said it had initiated the process of registering a first information report (FIR).

The PPP urged the Election Commission to investigate the alleged security failure and determine how the incident occurred despite security arrangements at the polling site.

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, who belongs to the PPP, also took notice of the incident. He directed the chief secretary and inspector general of police to investigate the matter and ensure that those responsible face legal action.