AJK general elections set for July 27 as schedule unveiled

• CEC Justice (r) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal announces elections, vowing free, fair and transparent electoral exercise

• Says Army, paramilitary forces to assist in conduct of elections, banning transfers, new development schemes ahead of polls

• JAAC protests could affect schedule if unrest persists as voter count rises by over 583,000 since 2021 elections

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday announced that general elections in the region will be held on July 27 and unveiled a detailed election schedule, formally setting in motion the electoral process ahead of the completion of the Legislative Assembly’s five-year constitutional term.

Addressing a press conference, AJK Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said the elections would be conducted under the supervision of the army, paramilitary and civil armed forces, while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair and transparent electoral exercise.

The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has announced that general elections for the Legislative Assembly will be held on July 27, 2026. Polling across all constituencies will take place from 8am to 5pm, while candidates can submit nomination papers between June 9… pic.twitter.com/PEWnof8hza

— Ground Zero (@GroundZeroPak) June 5, 2026

“Let me reiterate that the elections will be free, fair and transparent. We will make every effort to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote freely,” he said.

The chief election commissioner was accompanied by constitutional member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, Secretary Raja Shakeel Khan and other election officials.

Elections for #AJK Legislative Assembly will be held on 27th of next month#RadioPakistan #news https://t.co/KRemDzKR8W

— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) June 5, 2026

Under the election schedule, nomination papers can be submitted to returning officers from June 9 until 4pm on June 19. Scrutiny of nomination papers will begin on June 20, when the list of eligible candidates will also be displayed.

Candidates will be allowed to file appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers from June 21 to June 24, while appellate authorities will hear such appeals on June 26 and 27 between 9am and 4pm.

According to the notification, decisions on appeals will be announced between June 28 and June 29. Candidates will be able to withdraw their nomination papers until 2pm on June 30.

The final list of contesting candidates will be published on July 1, while election symbols will be allotted on July 2. Polling will take place on July 27, with voting scheduled from 8am to 5pm.

Justice Mughal dismissed concerns raised in some quarters regarding the commission’s capacity to conduct the elections, maintaining that the institution was fully prepared to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities.

“Holding elections is our constitutional obligation, and we have been fully prepared to discharge that responsibility in letter and spirit,” he said.

The chief election commissioner described accurate electoral rolls as the foundation of free, fair, impartial and credible elections.

He acknowledged that the introduction of a computerised voter registration system had initially generated complaints regarding inaccuracies, including the transfer of voters from one constituency to another.

“While errors in the preliminary rolls could not be ruled out, the tireless efforts of the administration, election officials and the exemplary cooperation of Nadra helped us rectify omissions and inaccuracies,” he said.

“I can now say that 99 per cent of the electoral rolls are transparent and free from errors, providing a sound basis for credible elections,” he added.

Justice Mughal also announced the immediate enforcement of election-related restrictions, including a ban on postings, transfers and the creation of new government posts. He said any transfers or postings necessitated by unavoidable circumstances would require prior approval from the Election Commission.

He further said the approval of new development schemes, as well as the distribution of electricity poles and water supply pipes — practices often associated with pre-election periods — had been prohibited. However, development projects already included in the Annual Development Programme would continue uninterrupted.

Referring to the 12 constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, Justice Mughal said elections on those seats had previously been conducted under judicial supervision. Following the judiciary’s withdrawal from the process, he said, officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan would now oversee those elections.

Justice Mughal, who also served as chief election commissioner from 2016 to 2019, expressed confidence that the upcoming elections would be conducted as peacefully and transparently as the 2016 polls.

Responding to a question about the ongoing protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), he acknowledged that prolonged agitation could affect election-related activities.

“If the protests or sit-ins continue for a longer period, they may have an impact on election-related activities. In such a situation, the Election Commission has the authority to make necessary adjustments to the election schedule,” he said.

“Elections will be held when the situation is conducive,” he added.

The previous elections in AJK were held in July 2021.

Meanwhile, the number of registered voters in AJK has increased by more than half a million over the past five years, according to updated electoral rolls released by the Election Commission on Thursday.

The latest voter lists show that the electorate across AJK’s 45 constituencies has risen to 3,804,385 from 3,220,546 in the 2021 elections, reflecting an increase of 583,839 voters.

Of the total electorate, 3,365,839 voters are registered in the 33 territorial constituencies within AJK, while 438,546 voters are registered in the 12 constituencies in Pakistan reserved for refugees from occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

According to figures released by the commission, the electorate comprises 2,001,730 male voters and 1,802,655 female voters.

Among the territorial constituencies, LA-7 Bhimber-III has the largest electorate with 129,994 registered voters, followed by LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V with 128,177 voters and LA-12 Kotli-V with 126,332 voters. The smallest constituency is LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV, which has 68,228 registered voters.