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The second phase of the elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) saw widespread public boycotts and protests across the Muzaffarabad division. Polling stations throughout Muzaffarabad city remained largely deserted, with scenes of voter apathy, including polling personnel captured asleep at empty booths.

Amid three consecutive days of intense clashes, arson and violence, voting in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-1 was officially postponed until August 4. Similarly, election authorities halted polling at 52 polling stations in LA-28 Muzaffarabad-2 due to critically low turnout, deferring the process until August 4.

Low Turnout

Polling was scheduled from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM across nine seats in the Muzaffarabad division and 12 contentious refugee seats. Voting was conducted in only eight seats in Muzaffarabad, alongside the 12 refugee constituencies spread across Lahore, Gujranwala, Islamabad, Karachi, Multan, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Sargodha, Jhelum, Rawalpindi and Gujarat.

Driven by calls for a boycott from the Awami Action Committee, the second phase registered an average voter turnout of just 42 per cent. The boycott severely impacted turnout at polling stations across the Muzaffarabad division, as well as polling stations established for refugee seats across Pakistan.

At Booth 16 in Tando Allahyar, Sindh, zero votes were cast. In Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, the Government Girls College polling station recorded only one vote. Polling stations in Islamabad Sector G-9/2 saw just 14 of 138 registered votes cast, while the Women's College polling station in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, recorded only 23 votes out of 210.

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Clashes And Casualties

By the afternoon, the situation in Muzaffarabad had deteriorated rapidly. In the Langarpura area of LA-29 Muzaffarabad-3, violent confrontations erupted between demonstrators and Pakistani Rangers. Security personnel resorted to firing tear gas shells and live rounds at the crowds.

By 4:00 PM, the clashes had spread to the Neelum Bridge, engulfing the landmark in thick plumes of tear gas and bringing movement in the regional capital to a standstill.

The election-day unrest followed weeks of civil agitation that intensified on July 29, when residents in Muzaffarabad protested against Pakistani Rangers' crackdowns in Rawalakot, Mirpur and Kotli. Demonstrators burned tyres, set fire to banners and flags of pro-Pakistan political parties, and engaged in stone-pelting.

During polling hours in Neelum Valley, Pakistani Rangers opened fire on crowds, killing three people. According to the report, security force firing has claimed 53 lives in one week. It further states that the total death toll from Rangers' firing since civil agitation began on June 7 has risen to 127.

In LA-27 Muzaffarabad-1 in the Kotla area, where polling was officially suspended, local residents gathered at key crossroads to celebrate the postponement. While the PoK Election Commission attributed the suspension to rain and landslides, the report states that polling officers and ground officials said protesters had blocked major supply routes with boulders and occupied nearby hilltops, threatening polling parties with stone-pelting.

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has demanded the complete annulment of the PoK legislative elections, citing low turnout, state violence and the regional boycott. JAAC leader Sardar Umar Nazir called for the formation of an interim administration to implement the October 2025 accord negotiated with the Action Committee. He also announced a region-wide anti-Pakistan military protest across PoK on August 5.

In the first phase of polling, held on July 27 across 13 seats, Shehbaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine seats, while Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four. The report concludes that video footage allegedly showing state-sponsored electoral fraud, combined with growing public defiance, has undermined the legitimacy of the election.

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