MUZAFFARABAD: The election campaign for the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections ended last night, with polling on 21 seats scheduled to take place on August 2.
The Election Commission has completed all necessary arrangements and has started dispatching election materials and polling staff to polling stations. Voting will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on nine seats in the Muzaffarabad Division and 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan.
A total of 208 candidates are contesting the nine seats in the Muzaffarabad Division, where 890,621 registered voters will exercise their right to vote. The Muzaffarabad Division comprises the districts of Muzaffarabad, Neelum, and Jhelum Valley.
According to the Election Commission, 1,483 polling stations and 2,219 polling booths have been established across the Muzaffarabad Division.
A close contest is expected among candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and independent candidates.
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For the 12 refugee seats, 143 candidates are in the running, while 438,777 registered voters will cast their ballots. For this purpose, 1,057 polling stations have been established across all four provinces of Pakistan.
Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan will vote for six Jammu seats and six Valley seats. The six Jammu seats comprise LA-34 Jammu-1 to LA-39 Jammu-6, while the six Valley seats comprise LA-40 Valley-1 to LA-45 Valley-6.
The constituencies LA-28, LA-29, and LA-31 in Muzaffarabad have been declared highly sensitive. More than 4,000 security personnel will be deployed on polling day, while the Quick Response Force of the armed forces will also remain on standby to ensure the safety and security of voters.
