The official results for the second phase of the legislative assembly elections in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir have been finalized. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz delivered a dominant performance by winning fourteen out of the eighteen contested seats, while the Pakistan People's Party managed to secure only four seats. This decisive outcome places the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in a commanding position to form the upcoming regional government.
Majority Threshold Crossed Early
The entire regional assembly consists of forty-five seats, with voting scheduled across three distinct phases. During the initial opening phase, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had already claimed nine out of thirteen seats. With the latest round factored in, the party's total tally reaches twenty-three seats, comfortably surpassing the simple majority required to govern. However, the third and final phase of the election process remains scheduled for August 10.
Rana Sanaullah, a senior party leader and adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, stated that his political faction will effortlessly form the administration. He further urged the opposition to gracefully accept the electoral outcome.
Violence and Voting Disruptions
The polling process was marred by clashes and unrest in multiple locations. During Sunday's voting, violence erupted resulting in the death of one individual and leaving several others injured. Additionally, adverse weather conditions and severe landslides prevented voting across three constituencies. The election commission announced that polling for these specific areas will be conducted on Tuesday.
Immediately following the announcement of the results, the Pakistan People's Party raised serious allegations of widespread vote manipulation. Senior party figure Raja Pervez Ashraf questioned how a party facing such intense local opposition could secure a victory so easily. He alleged that seats were deliberately allocated to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz to engineer a favorable government.
The Pakistan People's Party asserted that concrete evidence of malpractice was submitted to election authorities, yet no corrective action was taken. Consequently, the party is seriously considering boycotting the upcoming final round. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz rejected all accusations of wrongdoing.
Opposition Boycott and India's Stance
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, chose to completely boycott the entire electoral exercise, leaving the contest primarily as a two-way race between the two leading parties.
India had earlier strongly protested these regional elections. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of India, noting that Pakistan remains in illegal occupation of a portion of these territories. He stated that conducting elections in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is merely an attempt to camouflage illegal occupation and ongoing human rights violations.
Months of Protests Preceded the Vote
Prior to the elections, the territory witnessed massive protests spanning nearly two months. Demonstrators mobilized under the banner of the Joint Awami Action Committee, demanding the abolition of twelve reserved refugee seats in the assembly. Protesters alleged that Pakistan's security establishment utilizes these specific seats to install a puppet administration of its choice.
The government banned the Joint Awami Action Committee in June, leading to confrontations where security forces' actions resulted in casualties and injuries. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, expressed deep concern over the violence and demanded an impartial inquiry. Conversely, the government dismissed the casualty claims, alleging that banned groups infiltrated the demonstrations. Attention now shifts toward the final phase of voting on August 10.
