MUZAFFARABAD: Saturday’s clashes between activists of the PML-N and PPP in Haveli district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir cost two lives, while seven others, including the local PML-N candidate for the Legislative Assembly, were injured, an official said on Sunday.

Chaudhry Qamar Deen and Chaudhry Younas, both said to be supporters of the PML-N, were laid to rest in their native Bugdar village on Sunday amid a tense atmosphere, Haveli Deputy Commissioner Sardar Tahir Mehmood told Dawn, contradicting reports in a section of the media that put the death toll at five. 

Mr Mehmood said PML-N candidate Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz was injured by gunshots in Palangi village where his procession came across a corner meeting of the PPP. Mr Aziz was taken to the Bagh District Headquarters Hospital and from there to Islamabad for treatment and was said to be out of danger.

In another clash between supporters of the two parties in Bugdar village after the news about the Palangi incident reached there, eight people were injured, of whom one died on way to the local Military Dressing Station (MDS) and the other in the DHQ hospital, the official said.

Of the remaining injured persons, four were still in the MDS, but were out of danger. One of them was a PPP supporter. Mr Mehmood also denied media reports that troops had been called out by him.

“We have been reinforced by police from the neighbouring districts,” he said.

Police sources said that an FIR had been registered against 56 people, including AJK Electricity Minister Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore.

In the 2011 general elections, the PPP’s Mr Rathore defeated Chaudhry Aziz in the constituency by a narrow margin. At least one person was killed during those elections.

In the coming elections, Mr Rathore is supporting his party’s Khawaja Tariq Saeed.

“The situation is very tense and additional police have been called out from Rawalakot to establish law and order, but since angry protestors have blocked all roads, the reinforcements have not reached,” official source said.

In Muzaffarabad, the PML-N’s regional chief Raja Farooq Haider said: “Instead of waiting for the death of (more) political workers, the chief election commissioner should ensure deployment of army in sensitive constituencies.”

Talking to reporters, he alleged that the PPP had resorted to violence across the state.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2016