AJK polls disrupted as clash erupts at Bhimber polling station

Voting was suspended at a polling station in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhimber district after a clash broke out between

Voting was suspended at a polling station in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhimber district after a clash broke out between workers of two political parties during the first phase of the AJK elections.

The incident took place at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed polling station in constituency LA-6 Bhimber. Following the confrontation, polling was halted temporarily.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry alleged that workers of an opposing political party started the fight at the polling station.

District Returning Officer (DRO) confirmed that a clash had taken place at one of the polling stations at Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed. According to the official, miscreants snatched a ballot box and set it on fire.

The DRO said the ballot box contained 232 votes when it was set ablaze.

Returning officials and security personnel are currently present at the polling station. The DRO said legal action would be taken against those involved in disrupting the polling process.

Officials have yet to decide whether polling will be held again at the affected polling station. The DRO said a decision on re-polling would be taken later in accordance with the relevant election rules.

Apart from the affected polling station, polling is continuing normally at all other polling stations across the constituency.

Meanwhile, the DRO also said that former AJK prime minister Anwar-ul-Haq had raised a complaint regarding polling arrangements in constituency LA-7.

Officials visited the polling stations where complaints had been received and found that the relevant polling agents were present there.