PoK Elections: Rigging Allegations Grow Louder As Videos Showing Ballot Stamping, Bogus Voting Surface
PoK Elections: Rigging Allegations Grow Louder As Videos Showing Ballot Stamping, Bogus Voting Surface Reported By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 13:53 IST The footage
PoK Elections: Rigging Allegations Grow Louder As Videos Showing Ballot Stamping, Bogus Voting Surface Reported By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 13:53 IST The footage, which is being widely circulated on social media and local political networks, appears to show election officials and polling staff stamping ballot papers in bulk Rapid Read In one of the clips, a man identified by local sources as a polling officer is seen handling multiple ballot papers away from the view of voters Fresh controversy has erupted around the first phase of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), after videos allegedly showing ballot manipulation, bogus voting, and polling irregularities surfaced online and were accessed. The footage, which is being widely circulated on social media and local political networks, appears to show election officials and polling staff stamping ballot papers in bulk.
In one of the clips, a man identified by local sources as a polling officer is seen handling multiple ballot papers away from the view of voters. Another video allegedly shows a college principal performing duties as a polling official while participating in the ballot-stamping process. According to local reports, fake ballot papers were used in several polling stations during the first phase of the PoK elections. Multiple individuals were allegedly able to cast more than one vote using forged or fake identity cards, raising serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process. The allegations have quickly taken a political turn. Leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of attempting to influence the outcome of the elections through organized rigging. The PML-N has not yet issued a detailed public response to the specific videos circulating online.
Local sources claimed that widespread bogus voting was reported from multiple constituencies. Opposition workers have demanded an independent investigation and the suspension of officials seen in the videos. They argue that the footage points not to isolated misconduct but to a pattern of coordinated manipulation. The Election Commission authorities in PoK have also come under pressure to verify the authenticity of the videos and clarify whether the ballot papers shown in the footage are genuine. As of now, no official forensic examination of the videos has been made public. The controversy has reignited a long-standing debate over the transparency of elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Allegations of misuse of state machinery, pressure on polling staff, and irregularities in voter identification have surfaced in previous elections as well, though the scale and visibility of the current footage have drawn unusual attention.
The BriefWire