Third phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections proceeds peacefully, PML-N likely to form government.

Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah said polling in the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections was proceeding peacefully in the Haveli and Bagh constituencies of the Poonch division. He noted only a few isolated incidents, including an attempt to seize official records at a police station in Haveli and disruptions at three polling stations in Bagh. All incidents were contained by security forces and did not lead to major violence. Sanaullah said the elections were held after the Azad Kashmir and federal governments agreed to give protesters time to reconsider their position, and he urged those who had tried to stop the process to accept that they had failed. He added that the completion of the third phase would allow the formation of a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He predicts the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz will form the new government with an estimated two‑thirds majority. The adviser rejected allegations from the Pakistan Peoples Party that the phased election process amounted to large‑scale rigging, stating that the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission adopted a phased schedule for security reasons after consulting all participating parties, including the PPP. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Engr Amir Muqam echoed the adviser’s remarks, thanking voters for their support of the PML‑N and emphasizing that a large turnout and peaceful polling were achievements for the people of Kashmir. Both officials urged opposition parties to accept the electoral verdict and to examine their own performance instead of repeatedly alleging rigging.