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The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has secured a major victory in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, winning nine of the 13 seats in the Mirpur division, according to preliminary results. The first phase of polling was held across the Mirpur division on Monday. The election was closely contested, particularly between the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). However, the PML-N managed to establish a clear lead by winning most of the constituencies. Preliminary election results showed that the PML-N secured nine seats, while the PPP won four constituencies. The PML-N candidates emerged victorious in Dadyal, Khari Sharif, Barnala, Samahni, Bhimber, Nakyal, Sehnsa, Charhoi and Khuiratta. The party’s performance gave it a strong position in the division following an intense election campaign. The PPP, meanwhile, managed to win four constituencies. Its successful candidates secured the key Mirpur seat, two seats in Kotli and another constituency in Chakswari. Several constituencies witnessed closely fought contests. In LA-1 (Mirpur-I), PML-N candidate Azhar Sadiq secured victory after receiving 15,427 votes. His rival, Muhammad Afzal Shahid, received 9,832 votes. Another tight contest was witnessed in LA-5 (Mirpur-I), where PML-N’s Waqar Ahmed Noor defeated PPP candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Ashraf. Noor secured 29,821 votes, while Ashraf received 29,100 votes. The PML-N candidate won the seat by a narrow margin of 721 votes. In LA-7 (Bhimber-III), PML-N candidate Tariq Farooq secured a more convincing victory. He received 37,613 votes, while former AJK prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq finished second with 25,534 votes. The polling process was not without controversy. Reports of clashes and disturbances emerged from different areas during voting. Both the PML-N and PPP also exchanged allegations of electoral irregularities during the campaign and polling process. The AJK elections are being conducted in three phases due to security considerations. With the first phase now completed in the Mirpur division, attention has shifted towards the remaining constituencies. The second phase is scheduled for August 2. It will cover nine constituencies of the Muzaffarabad division as well as the 12 refugee constituencies. The third and final phase will take place on August 10. Polling will be held in 11 constituencies of the Poonch division.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the leading party in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections. Unofficial and unofficial results from all 13 constituencies in the Mirpur division showed that PML-N candidates won nine seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four. PML-N won constituencies LA-1 Mirpur-1, LA-4 Mirpur-4, LA-5 Bhimber-1, LA-6 Bhimber-2, LA-7 Bhimber-3, LA-9 Kotli-2, LA-11 Kotli-4, LA-12 Kotli-5 and LA-13 Kotli-6. The PPP secured two seats in Mirpur and two in Kotli. Its successful constituencies included LA-2 Mirpur-2, LA-3 Mirpur-3, LA-8 Kotli-1 and LA-10 Kotli-3. Voting was held on July 27 across 13 constituencies covering Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber. Polling officially ended at 5pm, after which an additional hour was allowed for voters already waiting to cast their ballots. Following the announcement of the initial results, PML-N candidates and supporters celebrated their party’s strong performance in the first phase. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated PML-N candidates on securing a clear lead in the AJK elections. He said the strong participation of political parties demonstrated the successful continuation of the democratic process. The prime minister urged voters to participate with the same enthusiasm in the next phase of the elections and contribute to strengthening the democratic process. He also praised PML-N’s campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, saying the party’s team, under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, had conducted a highly successful election campaign.

LAHORE: A Rs40 billion centralized procurement of surgical and medical disposables by Punjab has landed under the scanner after Minute Mirror examined official procurement documents. Managed directly by the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education (SHC&ME) Department, this multi-billion-rupee initiative represents the province’s first centralized framework contract, effectively replacing the long-standing decentralized system under which individual public teaching hospitals and medical institutions conducted their own independent competitive bidding processes. While the primary objective of centralizing such a massive health department exercise was to leverage bulk purchasing power, lower overall market rates and enhance institutional transparency, an analysis of the purchase indicates sharp price increases, significant market distortions, and severely restricted commercial competition. According to documents available with Minute Mirror, out of 125 evaluated medical device categories, a staggering 50 items, representing 40 percent of the entire tender portfolio, attracted only a single responsive bidder. Furthermore, 45 item categories yielded just two responsive bidders, while 22 categories managed to attract three bidders. Procurement specialists and governance experts point out that although provincial procurement rules do not strictly prohibit single-bidder contract awards, relying on sole suppliers for such a vast portion of a multi-billion-rupee contract severely undermines competitive price discovery, weakens public sector bargaining power and risks creating artificial vendor monopolies across public sector healthcare facilities. Rather than securing bulk-buying discounts for taxpayers, the comparative statement demonstrates widespread price inflation when measured against established benchmark prices from the Director General Health Services (DGHS). Out of 23 medical disposables with available DGHS reference rates, 18 items, nearly 80 percent, registered dramatic price escalations. According to documents, the rate increases are most glaring among routine, high-volume surgical supplies used daily across hospital emergency rooms and operating theaters. Surgical blades across sizes 11, 15, 22, and 23 witnessed a steep 470 percent surge, rising from the benchmark rate of Rs 13.67 to Rs 78 per piece. Black braided silk sutures saw price hikes of up to 275 percent, jumping from Rs 77 to Rs 289 per unit. Similarly, essential 24G IV cannulas climbed 154 percent from Rs 96.30 to Rs 245 each, while standard blood transfusion sets increased by 40 percent, escalating from Rs 105 to Rs 147.56 per unit. The financial evaluation has also drawn strong criticism from participating firms for appearing inconsistent with earlier proceedings conducted by the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC). During those formal hearings, several bidding vendors submitted extensive technical objections regarding bidder qualification criteria, product specification compliance, and regulatory eligibility. Stakeholders argue that the comparative evaluation sheet reflects financial outcomes that directly diverge from the issues debated and documented before the grievance committee. Legal experts contend that any apparent divergence between grievance proceedings and financial outcomes must be clearly explained through detailed, reasoned written orders to maintain public trust, uphold administrative fairness, and withstand prospective judicial scrutiny. Given the immense scale of public spending and the critical reliance of public teaching hospitals on these vital medical supplies, transparency advocates and healthcare commentators urged the provincial authorities to ensure institutional accountability, preserve regulatory compliance, and safeguard the overall integrity of Punjab’s largest public healthcare procurement exercise.

Authorities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have alleged that militants linked to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were present among protesters associated with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), amid heightened tensions in the region. AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif said on Tuesday that the presence of armed individuals and suspected militants had raised serious security concerns as the region prepared for the next phases of its electoral process. Hanif said the government’s primary responsibility was to preserve law and order while ensuring the continuation of the democratic process. He claimed that some individuals involved in the demonstrations were not ordinary protesters but had links with militant groups. During his briefing, the official presented footage showing masked and armed men positioned on the roof of a building. He alleged that militant elements were attempting to exploit ordinary citizens and urged residents to keep away from individuals involved in violence. Hanif further claimed that women and children were being used as human shields. He also rejected social media claims portraying the protests as solely a human rights movement, saying state institutions had information about the alleged presence of militants and other armed groups. AJK police spokesperson and Deputy Inspector General Irfan Kashfi said law enforcement agencies would respond to armed individuals as they would to other militant threats. According to Kashfi, the suspects were carrying sophisticated weapons, including automatic firearms, M-4 rifles, submachine guns and AK-47s. He said initial information also suggested that snipers had been involved in attacks on security personnel. The police official said one police officer had been killed while five others sustained injuries during clashes. He added that authorities had arrested a suspected individual in Rawalakot and recovered a military-grade weapon from his possession. Initial information suggested that the suspect was a foreign national and had allegedly been operating as a sniper. Kashfi maintained that security personnel were responding in self-defence and to protect civilians. Authorities were also investigating individuals suspected of facilitating the alleged militants. AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore separately accused armed protesters of deliberately creating unrest and said security personnel had been targeted from strategic positions. He urged residents to avoid the demonstrations, alleging that the unrest was intended to provoke a wider confrontation during the election period. Tensions between the AJK administration and the JAAC have intensified over the past month. The committee has raised several demands, including a proposal to abolish 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.