• Sardar Attique loses Dhirkot to Sajid Abbasi
• Haveli awaits results as PM Rathore, PML-N’s Mohsin Aziz locked in close contest
• Sardar Tanveer out of race in Bagh Central
• Polling cancelled at some stations due to violence
• Nawaz to have final say in picking next AJK PM, party leader claims
• PPP, PML-N trade rigging allegations amid reports of violence

MUZAFFARABAD: As the PML-N consolidated its position in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, the sitting premier and both his predecessors faced tough contests in three of the four constituencies of Poonch division that went to the polls on Monday, amid allegations of rigging and violence, disruptions and suspension of polling at some stations.

The PML-N has already bagged 24 seats — nine from Mirpur division in the first phase on July 27 and 15 in the second phase comprising Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee seats. The PPP, on the other hand, has won only 10 constituencies so far.

The biggest upset on Monday was the defeat of Muslim Conference president Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan in LA-14 (Dhirkot), a constituency from which he, and his uncle and father before him, had been elected in all nine elections since 1985.

Mr Khan was defeated by Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, who contested his first election on the ticket of the four-party alliance Awami Dast-o-Bazu Party. Mr Abbasi won by a huge margin of over 21,000 votes. According to unofficial results from 211 of total 214 polling stations, Mr Abbasi bagged 40,309 votes against Mr Khan’s 19,029 votes. PML-N’s Raja Faisal Azad and PPP’s Raja Mubashar Ejaz secured 3,000 and 2,800 votes, respectively.

In another closely watched contest in LA-17 (Haveli), a neck-and-neck fight was under way between Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore and PML-N candidate Engr Chaudhry Mohsin Aziz. Initial reports suggested that Mr Aziz had established a sizeable lead, but it later emerged that results from nearly two dozen polling stations were still awaited.

Independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, who had initially been tipped to finish second, was trailing far behind.

In LA-15 (Bagh Central), late-night unofficial and unverified results showed PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar establishing a clear lead of 3,000 votes over PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, while initial results indicated Jamaat-i-Islami’s retired Brig Dr Mohammad Khan heading for victory. Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party president and former AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who had won the constituency in the 2021 election on a PTI ticket, appeared to be out of the race.

In LA-16 (Bagh East), PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar was leading PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, who is the father of the PPP candidate in LA-15 and has served as an AJK minister in several PPP governments. Mr Akbar had secured 14,900 votes, while Mr Qamar had polled 10,960.

Results from 14 stations were awaited.

Polling at some stations in the constituency had to be cancelled earlier amid violence involving political activists, although voting continued from 8am to 5pm at other stations.

The third phase of the AJK elections was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division, which comprises 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district.

However, last week the AJK Election Commission announced that polling would only go ahead as scheduled in Bagh and Haveli because of concerns over the law and order situation. The AJK election commissioner has said polling in the remaining seven constituencies could be held by Aug 20 or 21.

Nawaz to pick PM

Meanwhile, PML-N regional secretary general Chaudhry Tariq Farooq said party supremo Nawaz Sharif would have the final say in choosing the next AJK premier, in consultation with the senior leadership.

“Party decisions are not driven by individual ambition, but by the overarching interests of the party, the public, and the state,” Mr Farooq said in a statement apparently aimed at setting out the party’s approach to government formation following the elections.

“The final call will rest on the political foresight and wisdom of the party leader, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, in close consultation with the senior leadership,” he added.

He cautioned, however, against viewing the premiership as a political prize given the challenges confronting the region.

Mr Farooq, who succeeded in LA-7 (Bhimber City) in the first phase of polling on July 27, defeating former prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, said that public order, political stability, governance, economic strain, institutional reform and sustainable development were the major challenges facing AJK.

“The true test lies not in winning the election, but in restoring public trust and reinforcing the state apparatus once the dust settles,” he remarked.

PPP cries foul

The rival PPP, which had accused the PML-N of rigging in the previous phases, levelled similar allegations on Monday, claiming that its polling agents were removed from some stations, polling was delayed at several places and ballot papers were stamped illegally in the absence of its agents.

The party also complained of road blockades, violence and alleged interference by PML-N and JI workers at some polling stations, and shared on X copies of complaints it said it had lodged with the Election Commission.

PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman expressed reservations over reports of “rigging and malpractices”, saying the alleged exclusion of polling agents from some stations raised “serious questions” about the transparency of the election process.

Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari also accused the PML-N of continuing to rig the third phase and said his party was regularly informing the Election Commission of complaints by telephone.

“But the chief election commissioner and the election commission secretary’s reply to all of our complaints has been that nothing has happened and everything is good,” he claimed.

Interestingly, Mr Farooq also complained of rigging in the Haveli constituency. He said allegations of “rigging, violence, coercion, or fake voting” in the constituency of PM Rathore raised serious questions.

“This is no longer merely an electoral dispute. It becomes a serious question of constitutional governance, democratic values, and the sanctity of the people’s vote. I find it difficult to believe that the prime minister of Azad Jammu & Kashmir could consider himself above the Constitution, the law, and basic ethical obligations merely to secure his own election,” Mr Farooq wrote on X, without elaborating.

When contacted by Dawn, Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel said every complaint received by him or the chief election commissioner was being attended to and responded to. He added that the Quick Response Force was also deployed where necessary.

Rana Sana responds

Responding to the PPP’s allegations, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the party had failed to provide any evidence of rigging.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside Minister for Kashmir Affairs Engr Amir Muqam, Mr Sanaullah rejected the suggestion that comparatively high turnout was evidence of rigging, saying the strong family and tribal system in AJK encouraged people to turn out in large numbers.

“Our opposing candidate Chaudhry Yasin was complaining yesterday that in his opposing candidate’s UC, 80pc votes were cast, whereas in his own UC, 96pc votes were cast,” he claimed.

He said polling had proceeded smoothly in Bagh and Haveli, though he cited a few incidents. In Haveli, he said, people tried to snatch documents from polling agents at one station, but the QRF responded promptly and resolved the situation. In Bagh, he claimed, some people identified as PPP workers attempted to halt polling at three stations, following which the QRF intervened and polling resumed.

Mr Muqam urged the PPP to review attendance at its rallies instead of levelling rigging allegations, insisting that the party lacked public support in AJK.

On the recent unrest in the region, Mr Sanaullah expressed hope that the protests would end after the third phase, saying the protesters had “only aimed to stop elections”. He said the new AJK government, which he expected the PML-N to form with a two-thirds majority, would address the protesters’ “valid demands”.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2026