Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML‑N) emerged as the leading winner in the first phase of the Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK) legislative assembly elections, taking nine of the 13 seats in the Mirpur division, according to unofficial results released by the Election Commission on Tuesday and reported by Dawn. Preliminary tallies compiled from Form‑26 and Form‑27 showed the PML‑N well ahead of its main rival, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which secured four seats.
The PML‑N’s victories spanned the Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts: it won Dadyal and Khari Sharif in Mirpur; Barnala, Samahni and Bhimber in Bhimber district; and Nakyal, Sehnsa, Charhoi and Khuiratta in Kotli, bringing its total to nine. The PPP retained the politically significant Mirpur city seat and Chakswari in Mirpur, and won two constituencies in Kotli, for a total of four seats.
The Election Commission’s Form‑27 includes votes cast on polling day as well as advance ballots cast by election staff, while Form‑26 records only the votes counted from the main election day; the preliminary results cited in reports were based on both forms.
Polling for the first phase was held on Monday as part of a three‑phase election across PoK, conducted under heavy security. Authorities said more than 1.4 million registered voters were eligible to take part in the exercise and that more than 2,500 polling stations had been established and supplied before voting began.
The voting round was marred by reports of scuffles, violence and mutual accusations of rigging between the PML‑N and the PPP, raising concerns about the fairness of the process. The Awami Action Committee called for a boycott, describing the election as a “fraud” and urging voters to stay away from polling stations.
The poll has also drawn renewed scrutiny over alleged interference by Pakistan’s military establishment, a charge critics level at elections in both Pakistan and PoK. While Pakistani authorities maintain the process is being conducted in accordance with the law, opposition groups say the independence of the electoral system remains in doubt — a dispute that could cloud the mandate from the Mirpur results as the remaining phases proceed.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/world/pok-elections-pml-n-wins-9-of-13-mirpur-seats-in-first-phase-amid-rigging-allegations-14034437.html
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Publish Date: 2026-07-28 14:04:00
