Shafaqna Pakistan: Polling concluded on Tuesday in two Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) constituencies where voting had been postponed from August 2 due to landslides and adverse weather, as the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) again alleged widespread electoral irregularities.
Voting was held in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I (Kotla) and at 71 of the 174 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat) after roads blocked by landslides were reopened. The AJK elections are being conducted in three phases due to security considerations. The first phase took place on July 27 in the Mirpur Division, while the second phase covered seven constituencies in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee seats. The third and final phase, comprising 11 constituencies in the Poonch Division, is scheduled for August 10.
The PPP lodged several complaints with the Election Commission, alleging that polling staff were found in possession of official ballot papers and polling bags at the residence of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporter in LA-27. The party also claimed that polling personnel had abandoned an official polling station and were instead operating from the home of a PML-N candidate.
PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman said videos documenting the alleged irregularities had been submitted to the Election Commission as evidence and demanded immediate legal and disciplinary action against those involved.
Responding to the allegations, an Election Commission official said videos submitted by a PPP worker appeared vague and amounted to unverified claims. He maintained that the footage could not be treated as evidence unless authenticated through forensic examination and supported by credible corroborating material.
The PPP also accused the PML-N of ballot stuffing at polling stations in LA-28, preventing voters from casting ballots, and alleged that a presiding officer in LA-27 was stuffing ballot papers. In a separate complaint, the party claimed PML-N workers opened fire in Bandi to intimidate residents and discourage them from reaching polling stations.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry rejected the rigging allegations, saying the PML-N’s success in the first two phases reflected public confidence in the performance of the federal and Punjab governments. Addressing a meeting of party leaders in Poonch division, he urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to “show grace in defeat” and said political leaders should not complain after losing elections.
Tallal Chaudhry expressed confidence that the PML-N would also secure a majority in the third phase of the AJK elections. His remarks came a day after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned that the ruling party’s “countdown” had begun and vowed to expand the PPP’s campaign for people’s rights across the country.
