AJK polls split into three phases from July 27 amid security deployment issues
Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections will now be held in three phases from July 27 to August 10, the election commissioner said. The revised schedule was attributed to the unavailability of security forces due to ongoing operations in the provinces.
MUZAFFARABAD: Elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir will now be conducted in three stages between July 27 and August 10 after the election authority cited the non-availability of security personnel due to ongoing operations in the provinces.
Announcing the revised plan at a press conference on Tuesday, AJK Election Commissioner retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said voting in 13 constituencies of Mirpur division would take place on July 27. Polling in nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies will be held on August 2, while 11 constituencies of Poonch division will go to the polls on August 10.
The elections had originally been scheduled for July 27 across the region. According to the election commissioner, the schedule was changed because security forces were not available for deployment as required.
Political activity has meanwhile intensified ahead of the vote, with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party accelerating their campaigns and senior leaders taking a more direct role in mobilising supporters. The PPP has announced candidates for 35 of the 45 seats in the AJK Assembly, while decisions on eight constituencies have been withheld.
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