Information ministry accuses Al Jazeera of misrepresenting AJK elections

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MoIB) on Monday accused Al Jazeera of “selective reporting” on the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, saying the broadcaster had sought to misrepresent the electoral process.

In a post on X, the ministry said, “We have taken note of Al Jazeera’s selective reporting from handpicked polling stations in Muzaffarabad today. Through carefully chosen timings and scripted statements from selected individuals, the channel has sought to misrepresent the AJK elections and the voting process.”

“Such yellow journalism only confirms the agenda of external actors with vested interests who are attempting to delegitimise this electoral exercise and undermine the popular will of the people of Muzaffarabad and AJK, clearly demonstrated today in their rejection of anarchy and coercion,” it added.

Al Jazeera English claimed on X that residents of Muzaffarabad in AJK had boycotted the election amid a strike, with protesters questioning how voting could proceed after unrest that had killed at least 80 people since June, citing local estimates.

The broadcaster said its correspondent, Kamal Hyder, reported from Muzaffarabad.

Meanwhile, the ministry reminded foreign media journalists that reporting assignments outside Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi require prior approval under the government’s External Publicity Guidelines.

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In a post on X, the ministry said, “In line with the External Publicity Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Foreign Media journalists are kindly reminded that reporting assignments outside Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi require prior NOC, as per Guideline 8.3.”

“All concerned are requested to ensure compliance with the Guidelines,” the statement added.

Clashes in AJK

The clashes in AJK have drawn widespread condemnation from political parties and rights groups following reports of deaths and injuries during protests.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan stated that it was “deeply alarmed” by the reports, emphasising that maintaining public order “must never come at the expense of the right to life or the freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression”. It called for a “prompt, impartial and independent investigation” into the reported deaths and injuries.

Opposition parties also condemned the violence. PTI demanded an “immediate, independent, transparent and impartial judicial investigation”, describing the reported deaths and injuries as an attack on “human rights, democratic values and civil liberties.”

TTAP denounced what it called the use of “excessive force” against protesters, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman described the firing on civilians as “open terrorism”.

AJK’s 53-member legislative assembly includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees — people who fled Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) in 1947 and 1965 and are now scattered across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) — an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.

The region witnessed one of its most turbulent periods in October last year when protests led by the JAAC erupted over demands for constitutional and governance reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.

The JAAC, which organised the protests and strike, had presented a wide-ranging charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, and the scrapping of the quota system.

Two days after the violence, the government and the JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core and 13 additional points. Under the accord, both sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.

The matter is at a deadlock at the moment, with the JAAC calling for the abolition of the seats while the government rejects the demand.

Elections held amid rigging allegations in first phase

Despite the extensive security arrangements, election day was overshadowed by allegations of rigging and sporadic violence, as coalition partners at the centre — the PML-N and the PPP — traded accusations of electoral interference throughout the day.

The PML-N first alleged pre-poll rigging in Kotli’s LA-10 constituency after party leaders claimed polling staff and election material had been found at a private residence instead of the designated polling station. The Election Commission later confirmed it had arrested and suspended two presiding officers over the incident, replacing them with new officials and initiating legal proceedings under election laws.

The PPP, meanwhile, repeatedly accused the federal government and the PML-N of using state machinery to influence the polls, alleging armed supporters attempted to disrupt voting at several polling stations and demanding immediate intervention by the Election Commission. The party also complained that polling at one station in Kotli remained suspended for nearly two hours, depriving voters of their right to cast ballots.

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Tensions escalated further in LA-9 Kotli-II (Nikyal), where PPP worker Mukhtar Younus was killed during polling. The PPP alleged he was shot during incidents involving armed supporters of a PML-N candidate, while PML-N leaders disputed the party’s account of the incident. Local authorities confirmed one person had died and two others, including the victim’s father, were injured.

As the accusations intensified, senior leaders from both parties held competing press conferences. The PPP accused the federal government of interfering in the elections through development announcements and misuse of official resources, while the PML-N alleged the PPP was itself attempting to manipulate the vote, claiming ballot papers had been recovered from the residence of a rival candidate.

Throughout the day, the Election Commission maintained that strict action would be taken against any violations of the electoral code of conduct, saying irregularities and negligence would not be tolerated. Despite the controversies, polling concluded after the one-hour extension before vote counting began.

PML-N leads in second phase

The PML-N was leading in five constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division, while the PPP had won two seats and was ahead in another as preliminary results from the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections began to emerge on Sunday night.

According to results received so far, in LA-30 Muzaffarabad, PML-N candidate Dr Mustafa Bashir was leading with 17,521 votes, while PPP’s Mubashir Munir Awan had secured 12,067 votes.

In LA-31 Muzaffarabad Khawra, results from 187 polling stations showed PML-N’s Saqib Majeed in the lead with 24,496 votes, followed by PPP’s Latif Akbar with 16,476 votes.

In LA-28 Lachrat, results from 93 polling stations put PPP candidate Bazal Naqvi ahead with 15,523 votes, while PML-N’s Chaudhry Shehzad had secured 14,580 votes.

In LA-29 Muzaffarabad City, results from 136 polling stations showed PPP’s Mukhtar Abbasi leading with 19,759 votes, while PML-N candidate Iftikhar Gilani had secured 16,400 votes.

In LA-25 Neelum Valley-I, results from 30 of 143 polling stations showed PML-N’s Shah Ghulam Qadir leading with 12,486 votes, followed by PPP’s Mian Waheed with 5,980 votes.

In LA-26 Neelum Valley-II, results from 40 of 135 polling stations showed PML-N candidate Shah Ghulam Qadir leading with 9,720 votes, while PPP’s Mian Abdul Waheed was in second place with 8,950 votes.

In LA-32, PML-N candidate Farooq Haider was leading with 12,567 votes, while PPP’s Ashfaq Zafar was in second place with 10,987 votes. In LA-33, PPP candidate Diwan Ali Khan had secured 9,180 votes, while Chaudhry Muhammad Rashid had obtained 7,893 votes.

PML-N dominates refugee seats

At LA-35 Jammu-II, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Ismail won with 23,893 votes, while independent candidate Sardar Muhammad Ghiyas finished second with 5,868 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 142 polling stations.

At LA-36 Jammu-III, PML-N’s Muhammad Ahsan Raza emerged victorious with 27,218 votes from all 140 polling stations. PPP candidate Ahsan Ismail finished second with 12,980 votes.

At LA-37 Jammu-IV, PML-N candidate Maryam Javed won the seat with 28,664 votes, while Jammu Kashmir United Movement candidate Usman Aleem finished second with 22,827 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 185 polling stations.

At LA-38 Jammu-V, unofficial, provisional results from 48 out of 115 polling stations showed PML-N candidate Zeeshan Ali leading with 5,483 votes, followed by PML-Q candidate Muhammad Akbar Chaudhry with 4,935 votes.

At LA-39 Jammu-VI, PML-N’s Raja Muhammad Siddique was ahead with 10,981 votes, while PPP candidate Chaudhry Fakhar Zaman finished second with 5,081 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 157 polling stations.

At LA-40 Kashmir Valley-I, PPP candidate Aamir Abdul Ghaffar was ahead with 2,914 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 47 polling stations. IPP candidate Saleem Butt finished second with 136 votes.

At LA-41 Kashmir Valley-II, PML-N candidate Aamir Shah secured 1,804 votes, while independent candidate Saba Dewan finished second with 588 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 19 polling stations.

At LA-42 Kashmir Valley-III, PML-N candidate Shaukat Ali Shah secured 1,524 votes, while PPP candidate Asim Sharif received 477 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 43 polling stations.

At LA-43 Kashmir Valley-IV, PML-N candidate Yasin Lone secured 1,276 votes, followed by PPP candidate Javed Butt with 563 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 10 polling stations.

At LA-44 Kashmir Valley-V, PML-N candidate Ahmad Raza Qadri was leading with 1,700 votes, while All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference candidate Mehr-un-Nisa was in second place with 650 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 27 polling stations.

At LA-45 Kashmir Valley-VI, PPP candidate Abdul Majid Khan secured 3,448 votes, while All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference candidate Khawaja Muhammad Dilawar finished second with 823 votes, according to unofficial, provisional results from all 41 polling stations.