PML-N Leads First Phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Elections

The first phase of the 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections concluded on July 27 across 13 constituencies in the Mirpur Division. Unofficial results show the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured five seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won two. Early tallies in the LA-7 Bhimber constituency showed PML-N candidate Chaudhry Tariq Farooq leading with 14,569 votes over independent candidate Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq.

To accommodate high voter turnout, the Election Commission extended polling hours by one hour in the Mirpur Division, which involved over 1.4 million registered voters. While election authorities described the process as peaceful, the two ruling coalition partners engaged in a sharp exchange of accusations regarding electoral malpractice. The PPP reported that a party worker, Mukhtar Younus, was shot dead in Kotli, alleging PML-N supporters were responsible. In response, PML-N officials claimed they recovered bags of ballot papers from the residence of a PPP candidate in Kotli.

Political tensions were further exacerbated by disputes over the Punjab government's provision of transport for voters and remarks made by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. PPP leadership criticized the lack of a level playing field, while PML-N officials accused their partners of attempting to rig the results.