The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) swept the second phase of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), winning 14 out of 18 contested seats, which will enable it to form a government in the region.The Pakistan People’s Party won the remaining four seats, PoK’s Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said on Monday.The second phase of the ongoing PoK polls was held on Jattvibeday, amid violence and rigging allegations. One person was killed, and several were injured in the violence.Mughal said polling in three more seats, which were supposed to happen on Jattvibeday, will now take place on Tuesday. “Polling staff and election material could not reach the constituency because of landslides and bad weather that resulted in blocked roads.”The elections for 45 contesting seats in the so-called legislative assembly in PoK are happening in three phases between July 27 and August 10.India maintains that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of it. New Delhi also asserts that Pakistan has been in “illegal and forcible occupation” of parts of these Union Territories.Last week, India described the ongoing elections in PoK as an attempt by Islamabad to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its “grave” human rights violations in the region.“The current cosmetic electoral exercise is nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in New Delhi.In the first phase held on July 27, the establishment-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine out of 13 seats, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won the rest.With the two phases taken together, PML-N has won 23 seats — the majority mark out of the 45 contested seats, even as another phase of the polls is yet to be held.The PML-N, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his brother Nawaz Sharif, are coalition partners of the PPP in the federal government. But in the PoK elections, it is a direct contest between the two, with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf boycotting the polls.After the second phase results were announced on Monday, Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told the press that the PML-N is in a comfortable position to form the government in PoK. “The PPP should show grace and accept the Kashmir (PoK) elections results,” he said.PPP, on the other hand, has alleged widespread rigging in Jattvibeday’s polls.“How come a political party (PML-N) which has become a symbol of hatred in Kashmir (PoK) can win so conveniently in both phases of the elections?” senior PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf said. “The seats have been gifted to PML-N to form the government.”           Ashraf said the PPP presented proof of rigging to the election commission but it did not register the complaints. “No one will accept the results of the elections if transparency is not ensured. The PPP is seriously considering boycotting the third phase of polls.”             The PPP had alleged rigging in the first phase of polls as well.However, PML-N has dismissed the rigging allegations. There are 53 seats in the so-called PoK legislative assembly — 45 are directly elected, while eight are reserved for women, technocrats and clerics.The second phase of the PoK polls covered seven seats of the Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee seats, which have been at the centre of a controversy.The elections are taking place after nearly two months of violence in PoK, in which several were killed.The prolonged protests were spearheaded by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a collective of activist groups, which was banned by the PoK government in June.Their main demand was the abolition of the 12 contentious refugee seats. The JAAC alleges that the establishment manoeuvres these seats to install a so-called prime minister of its choosing in PoK.The protests triggered a severe crackdown by security forces.Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have expressed concerns over reports of violence in the region, calling on the authorities to probe the incidents.The tensions escalated again as the elections began last week.After the first phase of polls, the JAAC said 37 people, including women and children, were killed in violence.“The number of those injured remains unknown. Amid heavy gunfire, our people have continued to stand peacefully and unarmed. God willing, our peaceful struggle against oppression and injustice will continue,” the JAAC said in a statement on July 29.However, the Pakistan government denied any deaths of civilians, saying militants of the banned Tehrik-e Taliban are present among the protesters and the crackdown against them will continue. “We will not talk to the protesters, and the law will take its course,” Pakistan State Minister for Interior Affairs Talal Chaudhary said.As the second phase of elections took place on Jattvibeday, large parts of PoK remained tense once again.In Muzaffarabad, polling staff were dispatched to polling stations under heavy security, while protesters associated with the JAAC maintained road blockades across several neighbourhoods, including Gujra, Tariqabad, Upper Plate, Centre Plate, Lower Plate, Saman Bandi and Chehla Bandi.Polling personnel were escorted to polling stations in “military-guarded convoys” with each vehicle accompanied by security personnel.A PPP candidate came under attack by miscreants. Senior leaders of the party alleged the assaulters were associated with the PML-N. In another instance, a PPP worker, identified as Mushtaq Shah, was shot dead in what the PPP called a targeted attack.The third and last phase of the elections will be held in 11 constituencies of the Poonch division on August 10.