Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) strengthened its position in the 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections by securing 14 of the 18 seats declared through unofficial results in the second phase of polling. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won the remaining four seats; the PML-N had a commanding overall lead as the electoral process moved towards its final phase.
Polling in two Muzaffarabad constituencies, LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I (Kutla) and LA-28 Muzaffarabad-II (Lachhrat), was postponed until Tuesday after heavy monsoon rains, landslides and blocked roads prevented polling staff and election materials from reaching the stations. The delays highlighted the logistical challenges faced by election authorities as adverse weather affected several parts of the region.
The Election Commission divided the 2026 polls into three phases following weeks of unrest, protests and heightened security concerns across Azad Jammu and Kashmir. In the first phase, held in Mirpur Division, PML-N secured nine of the 13 seats. With the latest unofficial results from Muzaffarabad Division and refugee constituencies, the party’s overall tally has risen to 23 seats, while PPP has secured eight. The remaining contests include the postponed Muzaffarabad constituencies and the third phase of polling in Poonch Division before official results are announced and the next AJK Legislative Assembly is constituted.
Election day, however, was overshadowed by violence. The most serious incident occurred in LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V (Khawra), where clashes reportedly erupted between workers of PML-N and PPP. PPP alleged that party worker Syed Mushtaq Shah was killed in an attack by PML-N supporters and accused its rivals of widespread rigging, interference at polling stations, security failures and attempts to prevent polling agents and voters from exercising their democratic rights.
AJK Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar also alleged that an attempt had been made on his life during the unrest and said Advocate Syed Mumtaz Hussain Naqvi was injured. PML-N rejected the allegations, maintaining that the incidents were isolated clashes and asserting that Syed Mushtaq Shah died from cardiac arrest during a scuffle. At the time of reporting, neither version had been independently confirmed.
Voting also took place in refugee constituencies across Pakistan, where turnout varied sharply. Polling hours in Muzaffarabad Division were extended by one hour because of strong voter participation, but some refugee polling stations recorded extremely low turnout. One polling station in Mohmand reportedly received no votes, while another in Dera Ghazi Khan recorded only one vote from a registered female voter.
The refugee constituencies remain politically contentious. The now-banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has repeatedly demanded their abolition, arguing that voters residing outside AJK should not influence the formation of the region’s government.
The elections are also taking place without Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which boycotted the polls after alleging an unfair electoral environment and lack of transparency despite dominating the 2021 AJK elections. With polling still pending in two Muzaffarabad constituencies and the final phase in Poonch Division, attention now turns to whether PML-N can convert its strong lead into a governing majority when the official results are announced and the next prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is elected.
