Voting got underway on Monday in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections across Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts.
Muzaffarabad, Pakistan – Web Desk: Polling began on Monday in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with voters casting ballots across 13 constituencies in the three districts that make up Mirpur Division.
Voting started at 8am and will continue until 5pm, with 296 candidates from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and independents contesting the seats.
Election officials said more than 1.4 million registered voters, including over 725,000 men and nearly 676,000 women, are eligible to cast ballots across Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts. A total of 2,454 polling stations have been set up across the division, with the largest share, over 1,100, located in Kotli district.
Authorities said extensive security arrangements were in place across all constituencies. AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal warned that legal action would follow against anyone attempting to disrupt the voting process. Separately, AJK Chief Secretary Khushhal Khan said state institutions were fully prepared to ensure peaceful polling and cautioned that the law would be enforced against anyone trying to obstruct the process.
PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman accused the PML-N of trying to make the elections controversial out of fear of losing, saying Kashmiris were politically aware and capable of deciding for themselves. PPP Information Secretary Shazia Marri said the party’s election symbol represented hope for the people of Mirpur, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, in a video message with his sister Asifa Bhutto-Zardari, urged voters to turn out if they wanted Kashmir’s future decided by Kashmiris themselves. Senior PPP leader Nadeem Afzal Chan separately raised concerns over alleged federal interference, calling for a free and transparent vote.
The polling day was not without incidents. In constituency LA-6 in Bhimber, a clash broke out between rival party workers at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed polling station. PML-N candidate Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry alleged rival workers had instigated the confrontation and that IPP supporters had caused disturbances at a separate polling station, leading to the suspension of voting at both sites.
The district returning officer confirmed the clash and said unidentified individuals had seized and set fire to a ballot box containing 232 votes. He said a decision on whether re-polling would be held at the affected station would be made later, adding that voting elsewhere in the division remained normal. He also noted that former prime minister Anwarul Haq had lodged a separate complaint concerning constituency LA-7.
Results from the first phase are expected once polling concludes, with subsequent phases to follow in other parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
