PML(N) Wins Azad Jammu & Kashmir Assembly Election Amid Boycotts and Protests

Pakistan held the 2026 Azad Kashmiri general election in phases — Phase I (Mirpur Division) on July 27 and Phase II (Muzaffarabad Division and refugee seats) on August 2, 2026 — while Phase III (Poonch Division) was postponed over security concerns. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) won a narrow plurality with 44 seats (46.74% of the vote) against the Pakistan Peoples Party's 43 seats (33.39%), with the remainder split among smaller parties and independents. Turnout fell to roughly 46-50%, down from over 60% in 2016 and 2021, amid protests and an opposition boycott movement tracing back to a June crackdown on the JAAC pressure group and disputes over reserved seats for displaced Kashmiris.