Azad Kashmir begins first phase of 2026 elections in Mirpur Division
Voting opened on 27 July 2026 for the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division. About 1.4 million registered voters – 725 000 men and 676 000 women – cast ballots at 2 454 polling stations in the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber. The Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (Retd.) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, urged a peaceful turnout and warned that anyone disrupting the process would face legal action.
Extensive security arrangements were deployed, including roughly 18 560 police and security personnel and 2 100 Pakistan Army troops, with additional forces on standby. A public holiday was declared for Mirpur Division on the polling day. Meanwhile, the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) continued its boycott campaign, sparking violent clashes that have left around 30 dead and prompting a Supreme Court ruling that the 12 refugee‑reserved seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated its claim that the region is illegally occupied by Pakistan and criticized the elections, adding a diplomatic dimension to the domestic contest between the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League‑N.
Entities: Ghulam Mustafa Mughal · Joint Awami Action Committee · Khushhal Khan · Pakistan Army · Pakistan Muslim League‑N
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A public holiday was declared for Mirpur Division on 27 July for the elections.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] India described the region as illegally occupied by Pakistan and condemned the elections.
- [● 5 SOURCES] 2,454 polling stations were established for the first phase in Mirpur Division.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The AJK Supreme Court ruled that the 12 refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished by executive action.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) boycotted the election, its protests caused about 30 deaths.
- [● 5 SOURCES] Mirpur Division has 1,401,439 registered voters (725,118 men and 675,628 women).
- [● 9 SOURCES] Voting began on 27 July 2026 for the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections in Mirpur Division. (a3dbb737-b5f8-4b37-8a41-0ecf9666cb8a, 350a8674-0522-4996-ab97-fc1c323be3f2, 7d04801d-4057-4206-a6aa-d91a53f7fad0, eb083a)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Approximately 18,560 security personnel and 2,100 Pakistan Army troops were deployed for the election.