PML-N sweeps PoK polls as Pakistan attack toll rises and rescue search continues

Newdelhi,UPDATED: Aug 3, 2026 17:16 IST

A series of developments were reported on Monday from Pakistan and the wider region, including election results in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a rise in the death toll in a suicide attack in northwest Pakistan, and rescue efforts after an avalanche on Broad Peak.

Elsewhere, US President Donald Trump said talks to wind down the war in Iran would begin on Monday afternoon after he said he was holding off on new 'massive' strikes, while Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi had a rare meeting with the Committee of the Red Cross.

In PoK, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) swept the second phase of elections, winning 14 of the 18 contested seats. The result will allow the party to form a government in the region. The polls were held amid violence and allegations of rigging.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwest Pakistan, the death toll in a suicide attack on a police station during a peace rally rose to 17 after three more people succumbed to their injuries, police said.

In another development from PoK, the bodies of three more mountaineers were recovered from Broad Peak. Rescuers are still searching for the remains of the last two members of the expedition team that was caught in a deadly avalanche.

On the international front, Trump said talks on ending the war in Iran would begin on Monday afternoon. He made the announcement after saying he was holding off on the new 'massive' strikes he had threatened against the country.

In Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi met the Committee of the Red Cross' representative in the capital on Monday, the military-backed government said. The meeting was a rare moment of contact with the outside world for the Nobel laureate, who has been held out of public view since the military seized power in 2021.

Overall, the day saw political, security and diplomatic developments across the region, from the PML-N's strong showing in PoK to the rising death toll in northwest Pakistan, the ongoing Broad Peak recovery effort, Trump's announcement on Iran talks, and Suu Kyi's rare meeting in Myanmar.

With PTI Inputs

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