MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) - Polling for the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections will be held on Sunday (August 2) across 21 constituencies, with more than 1.2 million registered voters expected to cast their ballots.
The Election Commission said all arrangements had been finalised and the distribution of polling materials and election staff to polling stations was underway.
Of the 21 seats, nine constituencies are located in Muzaffarabad Division, where 809,621 voters are registered. These include 151,911 voters in two seats of Neelum district, 177,500 in two constituencies of Jhelum Valley, and 480,219 across five seats in Muzaffarabad district.
A total of 208 candidates are contesting the nine Muzaffarabad Division seats, while 143 candidates are in the race for 12 refugee constituencies. Candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), 25 registered political parties and independent contenders are competing in what is expected to be a closely contested election.
The Election Commission has established 1,483 polling stations and 2,219 polling booths across Muzaffarabad Division. Security personnel will be deployed according to the sensitivity of polling stations, with eight officers assigned to highly sensitive stations, six to sensitive stations and four to normal stations.
The constituencies of LA-28, LA-29 and LA-31 in Muzaffarabad have been declared highly sensitive.
Key contests are expected in LA-25 and LA-26 in Neelum, where candidates from the PPP and PML-N are facing off, alongside IPP nominees. Competitive races are also anticipated across constituencies LA-27 to LA-33 in Muzaffarabad.
The Election Commission said polling for the third and final phase of the AJK elections, covering Poonch Division, will be held on August 10, with preparations already completed.