Ballot boxes looted, PPP worker killed as rigging claims rock Phase 1 of POK polls

The first phase of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) was marred by violence, allegations of electoral malpractice and clashes between rival political workers on Monday, with a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) worker losing his life in Kotli district during polling.

According to Pakistan's media outlet Dawn, polling began at 8 am across 13 constituencies in Mirpur division and was initially scheduled to conclude at 5 pm. However, Mirpur Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz Khan later extended voting by an hour, allowing polling to continue until 6 pm in Bhimber, Mirpur and Kotli districts. The most serious incident occurred in Kotli's LA-9 Kotli-II constituency, where the PPP alleged that its political worker, Mukhtar Younus, was killed during violent clashes involving supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Sardar Umair Naeem.

CLASHES, POLLING DISRUPTIONS REPORTED

Violence and political tensions disrupted polling at multiple locations throughout the day.

Polling at three stations in Kotli and two in Bhimber was suspended for the remainder of the day following election-related incidents. Polling was also briefly interrupted at several other stations after minor scuffles and heated exchanges between supporters of rival political parties.

The PPP and the PML-N, coalition partners at Pakistan's federal level but political rivals in the POK elections, accused each other of attempting to influence the electoral process in several constituencies. The PPP urged the Election Commission to investigate attempts by PML-N supporters to influence voting in Union Council Throchi of the LA-12 Kotli-V constituency, where the party's candidate Yasin is contesting.

The PPP claimed in a statement on X that Mukhtar Younus "died during incidents of display of arms and public harassment by PML-N candidate Sardar Umair Naeem". PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed grief over the worker's death, saying he had received reports that Younus had been killed "in firing by" the PML-N candidate.

"My worker has been martyred in Mirpur's Nakyal. Where are the relevant authorities? What is the Election Commission doing?" Bilawal said. He further alleged that a video showing Naeem and his associates "firing in public" had surfaced two days earlier, but authorities failed to act.

"There would not have been a loss of life if the relevant authorities had taken notice of the video back then," Bilawal said, according to Dawn.

Bilawal said Younus had been actively campaigning for PPP candidate Javed Budhanvi. He also reiterated the party's claim that a criminal case filed against Budhanvi was politically motivated.

PML-N LEVELS COUNTER-ALLEGATIONS

The PML-N also levelled counter-allegations, accusing rival parties of looting ballot boxes, setting one on fire and disrupting polling in Bhimber district.

According to Dawn, in Bhimber district's Samahni tehsil, supporters of an Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate allegedly took away ballot boxes from a polling station. Mirpur Commissioner Raja Tahir Mumtaz confirmed the incident.

Videos circulating on social media reportedly showed armed men firing during the disturbance.

Senior PML-N leader Raja Azhar Iqbal said the affected polling station accounted for more than 500 votes and that the party had submitted a written complaint to the district returning officer. The divisional commissioner also said individuals affiliated with the IPP candidate set fire to a ballot box at another polling station, prompting police to detain around 30 people in connection with the incident.

Several visuals emerging from across POK during the first phase of polling showed largely deserted polling stations, which indicated that the reported election boycott may have significantly affected voter turnout.

PRE-POLL RIGGING CLAIMS DEEPEN ROW

Even before polling began, allegations of electoral irregularities had intensified tensions. PML-N leader and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah, alleged pre-poll rigging in Kotli's LA-10 constituency, accusing PPP POK President Chaudhry Yasin of involvement, reported Dawn.

Sanaullah claimed presiding officers linked to the alleged irregularities had been caught and demanded an investigation before the election results could be accepted.

Although the POK government did not issue a statement directly addressing the allegations, the Election Commission confirmed that two presiding officers had been arrested after they failed to report to their assigned polling stations and instead went to a private residence.

A total of 288 candidates contested the first phase of polling across 13 constituencies in Mirpur division. Voting took place at 2,316 polling stations, including 1,241 classified as highly sensitive and another 724 marked sensitive by the Election Commission.

- Ends