MUZAFFARABAD, AUG 2: Polling for the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections began on Sunday morning across nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies.
The voting process began at 8am and will continue till 5pm.
Voting is taking place in nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division — five in Muzaffarabad district, two in Jhelum Valley, and two in Neelum — with 207 candidates contesting.
Simultaneously, polling is also being held in all 12 refugee constituencies, including six seats reserved for refugees from the Kashmir Valley and six for refugees from the Jammu region.
A total of 137 candidates are in the race for these refugee seats.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged victorious in the first phase of polls held in Mirpur division on August 27, clinching nine seats while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four of the 13 seats.
The PPP has alleged widespread rigging by the PML-N during the first phase, with the PML-N rejecting all allegations.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said in a press conference that his party has evidence of 30 polling stations where turnout was recorded at 99% and pledged to reclaim all its seats through legal and constitutional means.
The third and final phase of the elections will be held in Poonch Division on August 10.
Addressing a joint press conference on Saturday, the AJK Election Commission secretary and Senior Member Muhammad Ahsan urged people to actively participate in the polling process and elect representatives of their choice.
They said voting is the democratic expression of the people’s will and the most effective way for citizens to influence lawmaking through their elected representatives.
PPP alleges rigging
As polling continued, the PPP AJK lodged a written complaint with the AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, alleging electoral irregularities at a polling station.
In his complaint, PPP AJK election cell in-charge Sardar Abdul Shakoor alleged that PML-N workers were stamping ballot papers at polling station 24 in LA-32.
Shakoor claimed the alleged activity had severely affected the transparency of the electoral process, saying the incident amounted to a violation of the election code of conduct and rules governing government employees.
In the complaint, he requested that the “illegal activity” at the polling station be stopped immediately and that the relevant ballot papers be taken into custody.
He also called for the immediate removal of the government employee performing the duties of a polling agent and urged the AJK Election Commission to investigate the matter and take legal action against those found responsible.
Addressing a press conference, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan said his party had submitted more than 15 applications over reported issues during polling.
Chan claimed that polling staff and election material could not reach several constituencies, and PPP polling agents were removed from polling booths.
He further questioned the role of the AJK Election Commission, saying it would become difficult to consider the election transparent if such issues continued.
Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari rejected the allegations of rigging, saying that the second phase of the AJK elections was continuing peacefully.
In apparent reference to the PPP, she said that the existence of the “crying and complaining party” was nowhere to be seen.
Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam rejected allegations of rigging in the AJK elections, urging political opponents to accept the public’s verdict instead of making accusations.
The PML-N leader said the PPP should ask voters why they rejected the party instead of making allegations.
Muqam said that voters in Mirpur Division had supported the PML-N on the basis of its performance, criticising “unsubstantiated allegations” of rigging.
“Nothing can be achieved through blame game,” he said, questioning how allegations of rigging could be made when the offices of the president and prime minister in AJK were already held by the PPP.
PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman alleged an attack on PPP leader and AJK Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar, calling for the immediate arrest of those responsible.
“It is extremely shameful that such an incident has occurred again after the regrettable events of the first phase,” she said, alleging that PML-N workers opened fire.
The PPP vice president urged the Election Commission to take immediate notice of the incident and initiate strict action against those found responsible in accordance with the law.
