One killed, several injured in violent clashes on first day of PoK elections

Published Jul 28, 02:18 AM UTC

At least one person was killed and several others injured during violent clashes on the first day of elections for the legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reported that its worker Mukhtar Yunus was killed and two others injured in firing by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari criticized the authorities and Election Commission for inaction. Both PPP and PML-N accused each other of rigging. The elections, originally scheduled for July 27, are being held in three phases until August 10. The 53-seat assembly includes 45 directly elected seats and eight reserved seats. Imran Khan's PTI boycotted the polls, while the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was banned after protests that left over 100 dead. India described the unrest as a consequence of Pakistan's systemic exploitation in the region.