Summary A close contest is expected between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), with 208 candidates competing for seats in Muzaffarabad Division
MUZAFFARABAD (Dunya News) – Polling has concluded in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections, and the counting of votes is now underway after the Election Commission extended voting by one hour in the Muzaffarabad division due to a high voter turnout.
Voting for nine seats in the Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee constituencies began at 8am. Polling was originally scheduled to end at 5pm but was extended until 6pm to facilitate the large number of voters participating in the electoral process.
A total of 137 candidates are in the race for these refugee seats.
Polling continues from 8am to 6pm
According to Election Commission officials, polling started at 8am and continued without any break until 6pm. Voters were casting ballots for nine seats of Muzaffarabad Division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri migrants.
A close contest is expected between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), with 208 candidates competing for seats in Muzaffarabad Division and 143 candidates contesting migrant seats.
Over 1.2 million voters eligible to cast votes
Officials said more than 1.2 million voters will exercise their right to vote in the second phase of elections. A total of 1,483 polling stations and 2,219 polling booths have been established for the voting process.
Three constituencies, LA-28, LA-29 and LA-31, have been declared highly sensitive. Security arrangements have been finalized, with eight security personnel deployed at highly sensitive polling stations, six at sensitive stations and four at normal polling stations.
25 political parties participating in elections
Candidates from 25 political parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, along with independent candidates, are participating in the elections.
In Muzaffarabad district, 480,219 voters will cast ballots for five seats, while 151,911 voters are registered for two seats in Neelum district. Meanwhile, 177,500 voters will exercise their right to vote for two seats in Jhelum Valley.
Chief Election Commissioner Urges Voters to Participate
Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal appealed to voters to exercise their right to vote, saying every citizen should fulfill their national responsibility and use the power of their vote to choose better leadership and a brighter future.
He said all arrangements have been completed for holding peaceful, transparent and fair elections.
According to the Election Commission's schedule, the third phase of elections will be held in Poonch Division on August 10, with all preparations completed.
Polling postponed in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I
Polling in LA-27 Muzaffarabad-I was postponed due to heavy rain and landslides, which prevented polling staff from reaching the polling stations.
In addition, election staff have not yet reached several polling stations in LA-31. The Pakistan Peoples Party has demanded the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission take notice of the situation.
PPP complains over delay at 71 polling stations
Pakistan Peoples Party Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Cell in-charge Sardar Abdul Shakoor submitted a written complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner of AJK on behalf of PPP candidate Syed Bazal Naqvi regarding the absence of election staff at 71 polling stations in LA-28.
The complaint stated that polling could not begin at the scheduled time due to the absence of staff, causing difficulties for voters waiting since morning and creating concerns that many citizens could be deprived of their right to vote.
PPP demanded immediate deployment of election staff at all affected polling stations, extension of polling hours to compensate for lost time, and preparation of an official record of all affected stations.
The party also called for documenting the actual start time of polling and identifying those responsible for the administrative negligence for further action.
Polling also underway for 12 migrant seats across Pakistan
Polling for 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri migrants is also continuing across the country.
Voters are casting ballots in Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Pasrur, Narowal, Kasur, Alipur Chattha, Mandi Bahauddin and Ferozewala, while election activities are also underway in Multan, Bahawalnagar and Larkana.
