Bagh | Pakistan

The 2026 general election process in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has advanced with the announcement of results from two constituencies in Bagh, where the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured one seat each.

MUZAFFARABAD: Sardar Ziaul Qamar of the PPP and Sardar Mir Akbar of the PML-N retained the lead in their respective constituencies in Bagh, after results were received from all 23 polling stations where repolling was held on Saturday. According to unofficial and unverified results, Qamar defeated the PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas in LA-15 (Central Bagh) by 1,891 votes. He secured 17,118 votes against Minhas’s 15,227. Repolling was held at nine polling stations in the constituency. It was the third consecutive defeat for Minhas in the constituency, who had entered electoral politics in 2016 under the banner of the PML-N, won that election and served as a minister during the following five years. Qamar, meanwhile, secured his second consecutive victory after winning the 2023 by-election. In LA-16 (Eastern Bagh), the PML-N’s Akbar defeated the PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman by 3,833 votes, securing 20,796 votes against his rival’s 16,963. Repolling was held at 14 polling stations in the constituency. Akbar has won fo...

Polling has concluded at 23 stations in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Bagh district, having begun at 8am on Saturday. The AJK Election Commission earlier said polling was ongoing without any reports of violence, but the turnout in both constituencies was negligible. In the third phase of polling on Monday, PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar secured 16,637 votes in LA-15 (Bagh Central), followed by PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas with 15,015 and Jamaat-i-Islami’s retired Brig Dr Muhammad Khan with 12,259. But as polling could not be held at nine stations in the constituency, the commission withheld the result. Similarly, the result of LA-16 (Eastern Bagh) was also withheld after polling could not be held at 14 stations, which have a combined 7,238 registered voters. Results from the remaining polling stations showed that PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar, who secured 19,515 votes, was leading his closest rival, PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, by 3,225 votes. In both constituencies, all five candidates had accused...

Polling is currently underway at 23 stations in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bagh district. Polling began at 8am and will continue till 5pm. In the third phase of polling on Monday, PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar secured 16,637 votes in LA-15 (Bagh Central), followed by PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas with 15,015 and Jamaat-i-Islami’s retired Brig Dr Muhammad Khan with 12,259. But as polling could not be held at nine stations in the constituency, the commission withheld the result. Similarly, the result of LA-16 (Eastern Bagh) was also withheld after polling could not be held at 14 stations, which have a combined 7,238 registered voters. Results from the remaining polling stations showed that PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar, who secured 19,515 votes, was leading his closest rival, PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, by 3,225 votes. In both constituencies, all five candidates had accused their opponents of massive rigging. “Since we have more than enough police and other law enforcement personnel available, we have ...

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday ordered re-polling at some polling stations in two constituencies in Poonch Division’s Bagh district. Polling in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts was held on Monday as part of the third and final phase of AJK elections. Balloting in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts had been postponed over law and order concerns in the wake of tensions between protesters and authorities. Re-polling at nine polling stations in LA-15 (Bagh Central) and 14 polling stations in LA-16 (Bagh East) will be held on August 15 (Saturday), AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal told Dawn at his office on Tuesday. Re-polling has been ordered as the electoral process at some stations either could not begin on time or was disrupted and subsequently cancelled. Of the four constituencies that went to the polls on Monday, the PPP and PML-N appear set to win one seat each, while a lesser-known party has won the third seat and the result of the f...

Polling in four constituencies of Poonch Division’s Bagh and Haveli districts concluded on Monday as part of the third phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections. Elections are being held across AJK in phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities. Citing law and order concerns, the Election Commission had decided to postpone polling in Bagh and Sudhnoti districts that was originally set for today. On Monday, polling began at 8am and continued until 5pm in four Poonch constituencies. The PPP, which has accused the PML-N of rigging in the previous phases, continued to make similar allegations on Monday as well. In response, PML-N leaders said the PPP had no evidence for its claims, and reiterated their confidence to form the government in AJK based on the seats it has already secured so far. The PML-N has so far bagged 24 seats — nine from Mirpur polls held on July 27 and 15 in the second phase comprising Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee seats. On the other hand, the PPP has only won...

The third phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is currently underway in four constituencies in Poonch Division’s Bagh and Haveli districts, with the PPP alleging rigging in the fresh round of polls as well. Polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm. Government officials have anticipated clashes in some areas, while the Election Commission has classified most of the 803 polling stations in the four constituencies as either sensitive or highly sensitive. “Apart from the regular police of both districts, we have dispatched an additional 10,300 troops to maintain law and order and provide a fear-free atmosphere to voters,” Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel told Dawn earlier. Elections are being held across AJK in phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities. Polling in Mirpur and Muzaff­arabad divisions was held on July 27 and Aug 2, respectively, with the PML-N securing 24 seats. The PPP has only secured 10 seats so far. The third phase of the polls was origi...

Polling for the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general elections began on Monday in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts, with more than 460,000 registered voters eligible to cast their ballots.

The third phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is currently underway in four constituencies in Poonch Division’s Bagh and Haveli districts. Polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm. Government officials have anticipated clashes in some areas, while the Election Commission has classified most of the 803 polling stations in the four constituencies as either sensitive or highly sensitive. “Apart from the regular police of both districts, we have dispatched an additional 10,300 troops to maintain law and order and provide a fear-free atmosphere to voters,” Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel told Dawn earlier. Elections are being held across AJK in phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities. Polling in Mirpur and Muzaff­arabad divisions was held on July 27 and Aug 2, respectively, with the PML-N securing 24 seats. The PPP has only secured 10 seats so far. The third phase of the polls was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division. The division comprises...

Polling for the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will be held on Monday (August 10) in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts, with more than 460,000 voters eligible to cast their ballots.

Authorities in Bagh, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, have ordered the temporary closure of all schools and educational institutions following a high flood alert issued by the Meteorological Department.