LAHORE (Dunya News Report) – The first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir's general elections has triggered an escalating political confrontation between coalition partners Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), overshadowing the electoral contest with allegations of rigging, violence, mismanagement and competing claims of public support.
Although the Election Commission's provisional results handed the PML-N a commanding lead in Mirpur Division, the outcome has been fiercely contested by the PPP, which insists its mandate was stolen in several constituencies. The ruling party, meanwhile, has dismissed the allegations outright, maintaining that voters freely elected the PML-N on the strength of its governance record.
The exchange of accusations has intensified with each passing day, drawing in senior leaders from both parties, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Adviser Rana Sanaullah, Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari and several other party leaders.
The bitter political spar has unfolded as Azad Kashmir prepares for the remaining two phases of polling, leaving the controversy surrounding the first phase at the centre of the election campaign.
AJK elections
The first phase of the three-stage election was held on July 27 across Mirpur Division under heightened security, making it the first time in AJK's history that a general election has been conducted in phases. The Election Commission had cited security concerns behind the staggered schedule, while Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retired) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal later described the exercise as among the most difficult elections the region had witnessed.
According to provisional results issued through Forms 26 and 27, the PML-N secured victory in nine of the 13 constituencies contested during the first phase, while the PPP won four seats.
The PML-N emerged victorious in Dadyal and Khari Sharif in Mirpur district, Barnala, Samahni and Bhimber in Bhimber district, and Nakyal, Sehnsa, Charhoi and Khuiratta in Kotli district.
The PPP retained Mirpur city and Chakswari while also winning two constituencies in Kotli.
Polling, however, was overshadowed by reports of clashes, isolated firing incidents, the killing of a political worker, allegations of polling station takeovers, ballot box disturbances and accusations of electoral malpractice from both sides.
The Election Commission maintained that polling was completed despite isolated incidents, while federal ministers later described the overall process as peaceful, free and credible.
Bilawal rejects results
The political temperature rose sharply after the results began emerging.
Addressing party workers in Muzaffarabad, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari rejected the outcome in several constituencies and accused the authorities of allowing widespread manipulation. He claimed polling stations had been occupied, polling agents expelled and ballot papers stamped in favour of rival candidates, insisting that the PPP's mandate in Mirpur and Kotli had been stolen.
Bilawal particularly questioned the outcome in the constituency of senior PPP leader Chaudhry Yasin, saying the party possessed video evidence showing alleged irregularities at around 30 polling stations. He argued that polling in those stations should be declared void and fresh elections held. The PPP chairman maintained that his party was prepared to accept political defeat where voters had genuinely rejected it, but would never recognise what he termed a "stolen result".
He also criticised the decision to conduct elections in three phases, alleging the staggered schedule created opportunities for manipulation rather than strengthening transparency.
Bilawal announced that the PPP would continue its campaign to recover every allegedly stolen vote and vowed to challenge disputed results through legal and political means. Alongside his election-related criticism, he revived the party's demand for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate both the recent political unrest in Azad Kashmir and allegations surrounding the electoral process.
The proposal, repeatedly raised by the PPP during the past month, calls for an independent body to investigate the violence linked to the Joint Awami Action Committee protests, identify responsibility for deaths and unrest, and establish facts surrounding the current political crisis. Bilawal argued that both the government and protesters should have accepted such a commission weeks ago, saying the dispute could have been resolved peacefully instead of escalating into confrontation.
He also questioned whether political interests were being prioritised over broader national interests in Kashmir, urging state institutions to investigate every allegation instead of allowing tensions to deepen.
Fresh allegations
The PPP continued to press its case a day later through a series of separate press conferences.
Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf urged the Chief Election Commissioner to immediately investigate constituencies where the party had submitted documentary and video evidence of alleged irregularities. He claimed the PPP was not demanding the reopening of every disputed constituency but wanted legal action wherever credible evidence existed. Referring to LA-12, he alleged footage showed ballot papers being set on fire and maintained that complaints had been submitted to both the Election Commission and the judiciary without any visible action so far.
Ashraf also questioned unusually high turnout figures recorded at some polling stations, arguing that polling stations with significant overseas populations could not realistically have recorded near-total voter participation. He urged election authorities to examine the results polling station by polling station before certifying the outcome.
PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Hassan Murtaza echoed those concerns, accusing the Election Commission of facilitating what he described as daylight robbery of the party's mandate. He alleged that polling stations had been occupied in several constituencies, polling agents were prevented from performing their duties, voting hours were extended to facilitate manipulation, and repeated complaints from the PPP had gone unanswered despite warnings issued before polling day.
PML-N fires back
The PML-N swiftly rejected the PPP's allegations, insisting that the election reflected the will of the people and accusing its coalition partner of refusing to accept an unfavourable verdict.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz led the party's response, describing the first phase as an "outstanding victory" for the PML-N and urging the PPP to respect the democratic process instead of questioning the results. "It is not the state that decides election results, but the people," she said, reminding the PPP that the PML-N had accepted the outcome when the former won the Gilgit-Baltistan elections.
Maryam argued that if the PPP believed there was no rigging in Gilgit-Baltistan when it emerged victorious, it should similarly accept defeat in Azad Kashmir instead of alleging electoral manipulation after losing the majority of seats.
The Punjab chief minister maintained that the PPP had failed to present a convincing development agenda during the campaign, accusing the party of relying on criticism rather than performance. She repeatedly contrasted the governance records of Punjab and Sindh, claiming voters in Mirpur Division had chosen development projects and public welfare initiatives over political rhetoric.
According to Maryam, people voted for programmes introduced under her government, including the Green Bus service, Apni Chhat Apna Ghar, Apna Khet Apna Rozgar, the Kissan Card scheme, improved road infrastructure and better law and order.
She also pointed out that the PPP had remained part of the AJK government over the past year and questioned why it was blaming others for the region's administrative shortcomings.
In a separate post on X, Maryam further intensified the political rhetoric, saying the PPP, which she described as a master of electoral rigging, was itself complaining of rigging before asking sarcastically, "Qayamat kitnay bajay hai?"
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also rejected Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's allegations, describing them as "undemocratic" and urging the PPP chairman to demonstrate political maturity by accepting the outcome. He said no complaints had surfaced during polling hours and that allegations only emerged after results began favouring the PML-N.
Drawing another comparison with the Gilgit-Baltistan elections, Iqbal recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had congratulated the PPP after its victory there, saying the same democratic spirit should now prevail in AJK.
Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah defended the conduct of polling, describing the elections as peaceful, free and credible despite a handful of isolated incidents. Referring to the fatal firing incident in Nakyal, he claimed it stemmed from a local family dispute involving supporters of rival political camps rather than organised electoral violence.
He added that suspects had been arrested and maintained that, apart from isolated confrontations and minor verbal arguments at a few polling stations, the electoral process had proceeded smoothly under the supervision of the administration.
Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam also termed the completion of polling itself a significant achievement, given the security situation prevailing in Azad Kashmir over recent months. He noted that voter turnout ranged between approximately 40 and 60 percent across different constituencies and argued that the participation demonstrated public confidence in the democratic process.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari joined the PML-N's offensive, saying the people of Mirpur Division had expressed confidence in the party's governance through the ballot box. She argued that election results represented the people's verdict and should be accepted with an open heart in the spirit of democracy.
Criticising the PPP's response, Bukhari said some opposition leaders appeared unwilling to accept the electorate's decision and instead resorted to allegations after the results.
She maintained that the PML-N leadership had avoided unnecessary political bitterness during the campaign and claimed voters had supported the party after comparing Punjab's development with governance elsewhere.
Inviting Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to visit Punjab, she said he should personally witness the province's development projects instead of questioning the public's electoral choice.
Counter offensive
The PPP, however, refused to soften its position and continued pressing for investigations into disputed constituencies.
Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon accused the PML-N of obtaining what he described as a "fake mandate" through manipulated elections, alleging that weapons had been displayed openly during polling while a PPP worker lost his life.
He criticised Maryam Nawaz for congratulating her party instead of condemning the violence and accused the PML-N of attempting to secure political victories through coercive tactics.
Memon also dismissed the PML-N's criticism of Sindh, arguing that the PPP's electoral strength continued to grow because voters judged parties on their overall political performance rather than campaign slogans.
Bilawal maintained his refusal to accept results from constituencies where the PPP claimed irregularities had occurred, reiterating demands for repolling in areas where the party alleged polling stations had been occupied or voting had been manipulated.
He also renewed his proposal for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying an independent body should investigate both the recent unrest linked to the Joint Awami Action Committee protests and the election-related allegations.
According to the PPP chairman, establishing responsibility through an impartial commission would be preferable to allowing competing political narratives to further deepen divisions in the region.
Next phase
The political confrontation has unfolded while the broader electoral process remains incomplete.
The Election Commission has scheduled the second phase of polling for August 2, covering nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division and all 12 refugee constituencies, while the third and final phase will be held on August 10 across 11 constituencies in Poonch Division.
The refugee constituencies remain politically significant because they have been at the centre of recent protests led by the now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee, which has demanded the abolition of the reserved seats allocated to refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir settled in Pakistan after 1947.