After a landslide victory in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Elections, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is all set to form the next government in the region. The victory of the PML-N comes in sharp contrast to the earlier expectations about a split mandate as the PML-N wiped out its major rivals, registering an almost a clean sweep. Among the party presidents, Raja Farooq Haider of the PML-N, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan of the Muslim Conference and Sardar Khalid Ibrahim of the Jammu Kashmir People’s Party managed to secure their seats. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Barrister Sultan Mahmood has lost against the PML-N candidate, Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, while the Pakistan People’s Party leader, Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, had a small lead over his rival. Moreover, unlike previous elections, polling was held in all constituencies smoothly. In the past, the elections in the region were marred by allegations of rigging due to flawed electoral rolls and poor law and order arrangements. The voter turnout was also healthy despite the weather being hot and humid. Besides the AJK constituencies, the Kashmiri refugee constituencies across Pakistan also witnessed some unexpected results as the PML-N clinched nine out of 12 constituencies across Pakistan. The results are a major setback for the other main political parties who ran a vociferous campaign bordering on outright mudslinging in the lead-up to the elections. The Muttahida Quami Movement, which had been winning both seats in Sindh, also suffered a setback and lost in both the constituencies. The performance of the AJK Election Commission should not be overshadowed amid the election results. The efforts of the department need to be lauded as the elections in the region have a history of being marred by allegations of rigging and flawed mechanisms. Moreover, the role of law enforcement personnel should also be appreciated who helped in making the electoral exercise smooth and without any kind of violence. The AJK Election Commission had deployed more than 32,000 law enforcement personnel to maintain law and order and provide a fear-free atmosphere to the voters. The results of AJK elections speaks volumes of people’s trust in the PML-N, and should serve as a wake-up call to other political parties as there are less than two years left to the next general elections in 2018. Moreover, this victory will not only boost the confidence of the PML-N camp but also give them some breathing space amid the political chaos brewing in the country. The PML-N government has been under severe pressure following the Panama leaks, and PTI’s threats of street agitation. While all the issues including the Panama leaks should be resolved through legal channels, all the political parties should respect the mandate of the Kashmiri people, and move on to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. Furthermore, the Election Commission of Pakistan should continue its efforts to improve electoral conduct in the country, and make the exercise more transparent to ensure clean and fair elections in 2016. *