PML-N wins five seats, PPP grabs two as vote-counting underway after polling ends One killed, two injured during clash as violence, rigging allegation mar first phase of AJK elections Bilawal Bhutto express grief over death of PPP worker PPP raises concerns over alleged interference in AJK election process PML-N to win majority seats in AJK: Danyal Chaudhry.
MIRPUR/MUZAFFARABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured five seats while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won two seats as unofficial and unconfirmed results continued to pour in late Monday night from the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections held across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division.
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Till filing of this report, the counting process was underway in the remaining constituencies as election officials continued compiling results throughout the night. Among the declared results, PPP candidate Qasim Majeed won the LA-2 Mirpur-II seat with 12,904 votes, defeating PML-N’s Azeem Bakhsh Chaudhry, who secured 8,182 votes.
In LA-1 Mirpur-I, PML-N candidate Azhar Sadiq won the seat after securing 15,427 votes, defeating PPP candidate Muhammad Afser Shahid, who finished second with 9,832 votes.
In LA-3 Mirpur-III, PPP’s Chaudhry Yasir Sultan emerged victorious with 11,676 votes against 9,832 polled by PML-N candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed.
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PML-N’s Rukhsar Ahmed won the LA-4 Mirpur-IV constituency after securing 20,172 votes, defeating PPP candidate Chaudhry Sohaib Arshad, who received 13,865 votes.
In LA-9 Kotli-II, PML-N candidate Umair Niazi secured victory with 31,080 votes, ahead of PPP’s Javed Iqbal Budhanvi, who polled 28,509 votes.
Meanwhile, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Tariq Farooq won the LA-7 Bhimber-III seat with 35,490 votes, defeating independent candidate Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who secured 25,100 votes.
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The first phase of polling concluded at 6pm after the AJK Election Commission extended voting by one hour to facilitate voters.
Voters in Mirpur division cast ballots on Monday in the first phase of the 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with polling taking place largely peacefully across 13 constituencies, officials said.
One person was killed and two others injured after rival political supporters clashed at a polling station in the Nikyal constituency of Kotli district during voting in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections on Monday, police said.
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The violence occurred at a polling station in Kharan Dabsi in the LA-9 Nikyal constituency, where supporters allegedly linked to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) exchanged fire following a confrontation.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for Mirpur Division Kamran Ali said a PPP activist, identified as Mukhtar, was killed in the shooting, while two other people sustained injuries.
Authorities suspended polling at the affected polling station after the incident as security forces moved to restore order.
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Kamran Ali said additional contingents of the Pakistan Army and police had been deployed to secure the area and prevent further violence. Officials said the situation was being closely monitored, while an investigation into the incident was underway. Further details were not immediately available.
Polling was held in all constituencies of Mirpur Division, comprising six seats in Kotli district, four in Mirpur district and three in Bhimber district, where more than 1.4 million registered voters were eligible to elect lawmakers for the next five-year term.
Election officials established 2,554 polling stations and 3,701 polling booths across the division, with voting materials distributed a day earlier.
According to official figures, Mirpur Division has 1,401,439 registered voters, including about 647,000 in Kotli district, 342,000 in Bhimber district and 411,000 in Mirpur district. Authorities reported a steady voter turnout throughout the day, although no official turnout percentage was immediately released.
A total of 296 candidates contested the 13 seats, including 135 candidates in Kotli, 63 in Bhimber and 98 in Mirpur. The main contest was seen between candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) AJK chapter and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) AJK, alongside candidates from other political parties, including the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, and independents.
Inspector General of Police Captain (retired) Liaqat Hussain said around 18,000 police personnel had been deployed across Mirpur Division to maintain security during polling. Speaking to reporters while visiting a polling station in the LA-3 constituency, Hussain said the election process remained peaceful in almost all constituencies, except for a few minor incidents, including one reported in Bhimber district.
Election campaigning had officially ended at midnight between July 25 and 26 after the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission imposed restrictions on rallies, public meetings and other campaign activities ahead of voting.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday expressed condolences over the death of a party worker who was killed during violence at a polling station in the LA-9 Nikyal constituency during the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections.
In a statement issued by the PPP’s media wing, Bilawal said party activist Mukhtar Younis was killed during clashes that erupted during polling in the Kotli district constituency.
The statement alleged that Mukhtar Younis was shot by supporters of a rival political group and questioned the response of the election authorities and other relevant institutions.
Bilawal also referred to a video that he said had surfaced two days earlier, allegedly showing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sardar Umair Naeem and his associates firing weapons in Nikyal. He claimed that timely action by the authorities over that incident could have prevented the loss of life during Monday’s polling.
According to the statement, Mukhtar Younis had been actively campaigning alongside PPP candidate Javed Badhanvi in the constituency.
The PPP chairman further alleged that political opponents had resorted to violence out of fear of electoral defeat.
The allegations contained in the PPP statement could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate response from the PML-N, the Election Commission or other authorities to the claims.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chapter in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Monday expressed concern over alleged interference in the electoral process and security issues at several polling stations in Kotli district, calling on election authorities to take immediate action.
In a statement, the PPP AJK alleged that the Election Commission and district administration should strengthen security arrangements at sensitive polling stations in the LA-8 Raj Mahal and Charhoi constituencies to ensure uninterrupted polling and the safety of voters and election staff.
Parliamentary Secretary for Information Barrister Danyal Chaudhry on Monday said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has a proven track record of development and public service, expressing confidence that the party will secure a majority seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections.
Speaking to a private television channel, he said the people of AJK are looking for development and progress and support the PML-N’s development-oriented agenda. He maintained that the party has consistently worked for the welfare and prosperity of the people.
Commenting on the political situation, he said the PML-N is expected to emerge victorious in the AJK elections due to its performance-based policies and commitment to development.
Responding to a question about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he criticized the party’s governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming that despite being in power for several years, it failed to significantly improve security, infrastructure, and the law and order situation in the province.
He also praised Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, saying she is effectively utilizing provincial resources to bring improvements across various sectors. He further said Pakistan is making progress in different fields under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, attributing the government’s policies to the country’s ongoing development.