Pakistan Ruling Party Heads for PoK Win Despite Violence, Boycott and Rigging Claims

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is on course to form the next government in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) after taking a clear lead in the Assembly elections, even as the polls were marked by protests, violence and allegations of rigging.

According to the regional election commission, the PML-N has won 24 of the 34 seats decided in the first two phases of polling. Voting for the remaining 11 seats will be held on August 10, but the ruling party already has enough numbers to return to power in the region for the first time in nearly a decade. Voter turnout crossed 56 percent in Muzaffarabad despite heavy security and monsoon rains.

The election was held under the shadow of unrest led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which called for a boycott and demanded the removal of 12 reserved Assembly seats meant for people displaced from Indian administered Kashmir. Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled in June that the seats are protected by the constitution and cannot be removed without an amendment.

The campaign also saw clashes between protesters and security forces, internet shutdowns, arrests and reports of deaths, raising questions over the fairness of the polls. Opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, alleged large scale rigging, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also stayed away from parts of the process citing electoral concerns.

Adding to the political row, Prime Minister's Adviser Rana Sanaullah claimed the protests and boycott campaign were part of an alleged " Operation Sindoor 2.0 " aimed at destabilising the region, linking the unrest to India without publicly presenting evidence.