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Mirpur Vote Count Under Way as PML‑N Leads and Election‑day Incidents Shadow AJK Polls

Ongoing counts will shape control of Azad Jammu and Kashmir as authorities probe a killing, a burned ballot box and presiding‑officer arrests.

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Violence and political tensions disrupted polling at multiple locations throughout the day. (Representative Image: Reuters)
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Overview

  • Voting took place Monday across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division with more than 1.4 million registered voters and a multi‑layered security deployment of roughly 19,000 personnel.
  • Polling was extended by one hour to allow voters in long queues to cast ballots and vote counting is now underway with unofficial tallies showing PML‑N leading several seats while the PPP remains competitive.
  • Election day was marred by violence and breaches of procedure: a fatal shooting at a Nikyal (Kotli) station, a ballot box containing 232 votes seized and torched at a Bhimber station, and two presiding officers in Kotli arrested after taking polling material to a private residence.
  • The AJK Election Commission and police have suspended the presiding officers, seized materials, opened investigations and said decisions on re‑polling and legal action will follow after review of the incidents.
  • The Mirpur phase took place after weeks of protests and a government ban on the Joint Awami Action Committee that drew concern from rights groups, a backdrop that leaves questions about the elections' perceived legitimacy as the process moves to August 2 and August 10.