PML-N wins 9 PoK seats in first phase amid rigging allegations

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jul 28, 2026 15:08 IST

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), backed by the military, won nine of the 13 seats decided in the first phase of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to preliminary results issued by the Election Commission on Tuesday. The remaining four seats went to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which, like the PML-N, is a coalition partner in the federal government.

The first phase of polling was held on Monday amid allegations of large-scale rigging and reports of violence. The elections for 45 contested seats in the so-called legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir are being held in three phases from July 27 to August 10.

According to the Election Commission's preliminary results, the PML-N led by the Sharif brothers, Nawaz and Shehbaz, won nine constituencies, while the PPP led by the Bhuttos secured four seats. Alleging rigging in seven seats, senior PPP leader Nayyar Bokhari said, "Our winning seats have been gifted to the PML-N." Other senior PPP leaders have asked the Election Commission not to announce the results until an investigation into alleged rigging in certain constituencies is completed.

Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, rejected the allegations of rigging and said the elections were largely held in a "peaceful and fair" manner, adding that violence was reported in one constituency. A PPP worker was killed and two others were injured in a violent clash on polling day, allegedly triggered by an incident of firing by a PML-N leader.

The elections are being held after nearly two months of violence in the region in which several people were killed. The unrest began over a demand to abolish 12 contentious refugee seats by the Joint Awami Action Committee, which led prolonged protests that resulted in a crackdown by security forces.

India maintains that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of it, and says Pakistan has been in "illegal and forcible occupation" of parts of these Union Territories. On July 14, India described the protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as a "direct consequence" of Islamabad's decades-long "systemic exploitation and administrative oppression" in areas under its "forcible" occupation. Overall, the first phase of the elections has produced a clear lead for the PML-N, even as the process remains overshadowed by rigging allegations, violence and the wider unrest in the region.

With PTI Inputs

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