Islamabad, August 4, 2026: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday renewed its allegations of electoral rigging as polling continued in two constituencies of Muzaffarabad during the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections.
Polling was held in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I (Kotla) and at 71 of the 174 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat) after voting in these areas was postponed from August 2 due to landslides and adverse weather conditions that blocked access to several polling stations.
The AJK elections are being conducted in three phases due to security considerations. Polling has already been completed in seven constituencies of Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The final phase of polling in 11 constituencies of Poonch Division is scheduled for August 10.
In the first phase, held on July 27 in Mirpur Division, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine of the 13 seats, while the PPP secured the remaining four.
The PPP and PML-N, coalition partners at the federal level, have since exchanged accusations over alleged electoral irregularities, violence and malpractice.
On Tuesday, the PPP claimed in a complaint submitted to the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir that polling staff in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I had been found with official ballot papers and polling materials inside the residence of a PML-N supporter located about two kilometres from the designated polling station.
The party alleged it possessed concrete evidence that polling staff assigned to Polling Station No. 3 had abandoned their duties and moved to the residence of a PML-N candidate.
PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman described the reports as alarming, saying videos purportedly showing electoral irregularities had been submitted to the Election Commission and calling for immediate disciplinary and legal action against those responsible.
Responding to media queries, Election Commission official Khawaja Muhammad Ahsan said the videos provided by a PPP worker appeared vague and, at present, amounted to unverified allegations.
“Unless the footage is authenticated through proper forensic examination and corroborated by other credible evidence, it cannot be treated as proof,” he said.
In separate complaints, the PPP accused the PML-N of ballot stuffing at Polling Stations No. 95 and 97 in LA-28, obstructing voters from casting ballots, and alleged that the presiding officer at Polling Station No. 92 in LA-27 was stuffing ballot papers. The party demanded the officer’s immediate replacement with a neutral official.
The PPP also alleged that PML-N workers resorted to aerial firing in the Bandi area of LA-28 to intimidate residents and discourage them from reaching polling stations.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior and PML-N election coordinator for Poonch Division, Tallal Chaudhry, rejected the PPP’s allegations and criticised PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for questioning the electoral process.
Chairing a review meeting on preparations for the third phase of the AJK elections, Chaudhry said the PML-N’s strong performance in the first two phases reflected public confidence in the federal and Punjab governments.
“The people of Kashmir have voted for work and performance,” he said, adding that political leaders should accept electoral outcomes gracefully instead of alleging rigging after defeat.
He expressed confidence that the PML-N would secure a majority of seats in the third and final phase of the elections.
A day earlier, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned that a political “countdown” for the PML-N had begun, saying the PPP’s movement for people’s rights would expand across the country. In a series of posts on social media platform X, he said his party would continue its struggle for the people’s right to governance, ownership and employment.
The escalating exchange of accusations has further strained relations between the two coalition partners, with senior leaders from both parties continuing to trade criticism over governance, electoral legitimacy and political performance.
