In the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir's (AJK) staggered elections, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured a commanding lead, winning nine of the 13 seats in the Mirpur division, according to preliminary results issued by the Election Commission on Tuesday. The polls, held on Monday amid security concerns, were marked by scuffles, violence, and allegations of rigging, with both the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) accusing each other of malpractice. Main Developments The PML-N emerged victorious in constituencies across Mirpur, Bhimber, and Kotli districts. In Mirpur district, the party secured Dadyal and Khari Sharif; in Bhimber district, it won Barnala, Samahni, and Bhimber; and in Kotli district, it clinched Nakyal, Sehnsa, Charhoi, and Khuiratta. The PPP, meanwhile, secured four seats, including the key city of Mirpur and Chakswari in Mirpur district, along with two seats in Kotli. Detailed results from Form-27, which includes votes cast on polling day and advance ballots by election staff, show PML-N's Azhar Sadiq winning LA-1 (Mirpur-I) with 15,427 votes, defeating Muhammad Afzal Shahid who received 9,832 votes. In LA-2 (Mirpur-II), PPP's Qasim Majeed won with 13,378 votes. A close contest in LA-3 (Mirpur-III) saw PPP's Yasir Sultan win with 12,590 votes against PML-N's 11,081 votes. Read also: Pakistan Interior Minister Seeks Security Boost in Qatar Talks PML-N's Chaudhry Rukhsar Ahmed secured LA-4 (Mirpur-IV) with 22,376 votes, while PPP's Sohaib Arshad trailed with 15,851 votes. In LA-5 (Bhimber-I), PML-N's Waqar Ahmed Noor won a tight race with 30,259 votes, edging out PPP's Chaudhry Parvaiz Ashraf who received 29,574 votes. PML-N's Chaudhry Razzaq won in Samahni's LA-6, and Tariq Farooq won LA-7 (Bhimber-III) with 37,613 votes, defeating former AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq who secured 25,534 votes. PPP's Zafar Iqbal won LA-8 (Kotli-I) with 19,535 votes, and party's AJK chapter president Chaudhry Yasin won LA-10 (Kotli-III) with 12,358 votes. PML-N's Umair Naeem secured LA-9 (Kotli-II) in Nakyal, where polling turned violent on Monday, winning over 30,000 votes against PPP's Javed Budhanvi who received 28,309 votes. PML-N's Raja Asif won LA-11 (Kotli-IV) in Sehnsa, Raja Riasat Khan won LA-12 (Kotli-V), and Raja Ayyaz Ahmad won LA-13 (Kotli-VI) with 12,008 votes. Background The AJK elections are being held in three phases due to security concerns, with the first phase covering Mirpur division. The second phase is scheduled for August 2 in nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies, while the third phase on August 10 will cover 11 constituencies of Poonch division. The phased approach follows widespread protests by the now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee since early June, demanding the abolition of 12 seats in the AJK legislature reserved for refugees from India-occupied Kashmir. Those protests have been marred by violence. The chief election commissioner described the Mirpur division polls as “the most difficult” in AJK's history, for reasons “everyone is aware of.” He noted that while isolated incidents occur during elections, political parties often misrepresent them without proper investigation. The polls were also preceded by a clash around 10 days earlier in which a senior PML-N leader was killed and three others injured, according to PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah. Why It Matters The results solidify PML-N's political dominance in the Mirpur division, a key region in AJK with strong ties to the Pakistani diaspora. The party's ability to secure nine of 13 seats, despite allegations of rigging and violence, reinforces its position as the leading political force in the region. For the PPP, winning only four seats, including the symbolic prize of Mirpur city, provides a foothold but underscores the challenge of competing against the PML-N's organizational strength. The elections also test the credibility of the electoral process in AJK, amid opposition allegations of malpractice and incidents like the theft of ballot boxes by supporters of an Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate in Bhimber's Samahni tehsil. PML-N's Rana Sanaullah, however, dismissed the violence in Nakyal as a family dispute, claiming that suspects were arrested and that “no violence occurred anywhere” besides that exchange of fire. He also reported an incident in LA-6 (Bhimber-II) where a candidate allegedly entered a polling station, picked up ballot boxes, and threw them on the ground, leading to his arrest and the registration of an FIR. Kashmir Affairs Minister Amir Muqam noted that voter turnout ranged from 40 to 60 percent in some constituencies, which he called an “encouraging sign of public participation.” He emphasized that holding elections under the current circumstances was itself a major achievement. What's Next With the first phase complete, attention shifts to the second phase on August 2, covering Muzaffarabad division's nine c