Islamabad. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has taken a big lead in the Legislative Assembly elections of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). According to the Election Commission, two rounds of counting have been completed so far, in which the party has won 24 out of 34 seats. With this, it is almost certain that PML-N will form the next regional government. Although there were protests for several weeks before the elections and the banned organization Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had appealed to the people to boycott the voting, despite this a large number of people cast their votes.
Elections are being held in three phases.
Regional Election Commission spokesman Raja Shakeel said that due to security reasons and heavy monsoon rains, the elections are being held in three phases. Voting and counting have been completed in 34 constituencies in the first two phases. Voting for the remaining 11 seats will take place on August 10. According to Raja Shakeel, many areas recorded voter turnout of more than 50 percent, while the regional capital Muzaffarabad recorded a turnout of more than 56 percent.
The results so far clearly indicate that the PML-N is set to return to power in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after nearly 10 years
. Following the victory, Nawaz Sharif congratulated the winning candidates and called it a victory for democracy.
Voting took place amid protests and clashes.
During the election campaign, JAAC held continuous demonstrations and appealed to the people not to vote. Recently, the regional government had banned this organization citing security and law and order issues. Before the voting, there were several clashes between the supporters of the organization and the police. Despite this, the local people voted amid the fear of violence. Analysts say that the large number of people voting despite protests and violence reflects the public’s trust in the democratic process.
The controversy surrounding the reserved seats
was the biggest controversy during the elections regarding 12 reserved seats. These seats are reserved for people who migrated from Indian-administered Kashmir after 1947 and settled in Pakistan. The JAAC alleges that these seats give undue political influence to people living outside Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The organization is demanding the abolition of these seats. However, in June, the Supreme Court of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir ruled that these seats are constitutionally protected and that abolishing them would require a constitutional amendment.
What does the government say?
The government of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir says it has accepted 36 of the 38 demands of the JAAC. Only the issue of reserved seats can be resolved through the legislative assembly and constitutional processes. The government also alleged that some protesters tried to disrupt the elections and expressed fears of infiltration of members of the Pakistani Taliban into the protests. However, the JAAC has not responded to these allegations.
