Father, two relatives held over newlywed’s deat…

ISLAMABAD: The second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections faced fresh controversy on Sunday after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) alleged delays, administrative shortcomings and electoral irregularities in several constituencies. Meanwhile, the AJK Election Commission postponed polling in one constituency due to severe weather conditions. Polling continued in 21 constituencies, including nine seats in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee constituencies across Pakistan. More than 1.2 million registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots under strict security arrangements. PPP AJK Election Cell In-charge Sardar Abdul Shakoor claimed that polling was delayed in several constituencies because polling staff failed to reach polling stations before voting began. He said dozens of polling stations remained without election officials at the scheduled opening time, causing inconvenience to voters and delaying the electoral process. According to the PPP, similar problems were reported in multiple constituencies where polling staff arrived late, preventing voters from exercising their right to vote on time. The party urged the Election Commission and local administration to ensure immediate deployment of staff and restore normal polling. Separately, the AJK Election Commission announced that polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I had been postponed after heavy rainfall and landslides blocked key roads, making it impossible for polling teams and election material to reach several polling stations. Election authorities said efforts were made to reopen the affected routes, but worsening weather conditions prevented polling from taking place. The Commission said a new polling date would be announced later and apologised to voters for the inconvenience. The PPP questioned the decision to postpone polling across the entire constituency. Party leaders argued that if only certain polling stations were affected by landslides, polling should have continued in the remaining accessible areas. They called on the Election Commission to release a detailed report explaining the reasons behind the postponement. The party also alleged delays in additional constituencies, claiming that polling staff had not reached several stations even hours after voting officially began. It maintained that the delays affected voter participation and raised concerns over the smooth conduct of the election. PPP leaders further alleged that blocked roads prevented hundreds of voters from reaching polling stations. The party demanded the immediate reopening of affected routes and called for measures to ensure that voters could cast their ballots without obstruction. In another complaint, the PPP claimed that some of its polling agents were prevented from performing their duties at polling stations despite fulfilling legal requirements. The party urged election authorities to intervene and ensure equal treatment of all contesting candidates and their representatives. The PPP also accused rival political workers of violating election rules in certain constituencies and alleged that government employees were participating in election activities in violation of the code of conduct. The party demanded an immediate investigation and legal action wherever irregularities were confirmed. Separately, PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan criticised the conduct of the elections, describing reported delays in ballot paper distribution and administrative issues as unacceptable. He said the party wanted the electoral process to remain transparent and credible and warned that unresolved issues could undermine public confidence.

Pakistan has taken a significant step toward joining the global lithium supply chain after the discovery of high-grade lithium in Sindh’s Khairpur district, a development that could pave the way for the country’s first domestic lithium industry and strengthen its ambitions in clean energy and advanced manufacturing. The breakthrough comes as the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) signed a strategic agreement with the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) to develop technology capable of extracting lithium from geothermal brine on a commercial scale. The agreement follows the successful identification of high-quality lithium in water produced from a well in Khairpur, raising hopes that Pakistan could eventually reduce its dependence on imported battery materials while creating a new high-value industrial sector. Officials familiar with the project said the collaboration will focus on designing an efficient and commercially viable extraction process. If successful, the initiative could lay the foundation for a local lithium value chain, supporting industries involved in electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy storage systems, and other high-tech applications. The discovery is also expected to attract interest from investors looking to capitalize on the rapidly growing global demand for lithium, a critical mineral used in rechargeable batteries that power electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops, and grid-scale energy storage systems. In another major development, authorities have expanded lithium exploration across Sindh. Plans are underway to investigate eight to ten additional wells in search of further lithium-rich geothermal brine deposits, increasing the likelihood of identifying commercially viable reserves. Energy experts believe Pakistan’s emerging lithium potential could diversify the country’s mineral resources, generate export opportunities, and create skilled employment if exploration results continue to be positive and commercial production becomes feasible. While further scientific studies and economic assessments are still required before large-scale production begins, the Khairpur discovery marks a milestone in Pakistan’s pursuit of critical minerals. Industry observers say sustained investment in research, technology, and infrastructure will be essential to transform the discovery into a competitive domestic lithium industry capable of supporting the country’s long-term energy transition and industrial growth.