MUZAFFARABAD: Polling for the opening phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections began on Monday, with citizens voting in 13 constituencies spread across the Mirpur Division.
Voting commenced at 8:00 a.m. and is scheduled to continue until 5:00 p.m. Nearly 296 candidates, representing parties including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), along with independent contenders, are competing for seats.
Election authorities said 1,401,439 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the districts of Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber. The voter list includes 725,118 men and 675,628 women.
To facilitate the voting process, officials have established 2,454 polling stations across the division. These include 597 stations in Mirpur, 1,107 in Kotli, and 608 in Bhimber. Security forces have been deployed extensively to maintain law and order throughout the polling process.
Violence Reported in Bhimber
An incident of unrest was reported in LA-6 Bhimber, where supporters of rival political parties allegedly clashed at the Darbar Baba Shadi Shaheed polling station.
PML-N candidate Abdul Razzaq Chaudhry accused opposition workers of initiating the confrontation and further alleged that IPP supporters disrupted voting at Polling Station No. 95. Following the disturbances, polling at the affected stations was temporarily suspended.
The District Returning Officer (DRO) confirmed the incident, stating that unidentified individuals seized a ballot box and later set it on fire. The destroyed ballot box reportedly contained 232 cast votes.
According to the DRO, election officials and security personnel responded promptly, and legal proceedings will be initiated against those responsible. Authorities will later decide whether re-polling is required at the affected polling station.
Officials added that voting continued peacefully at all other polling stations across the division.
The DRO also confirmed receiving a complaint from former prime minister Anwarul Haq regarding alleged irregularities in LA-7. After personally inspecting the concerned polling stations, the official stated that the candidate’s polling agents were present and monitoring the electoral process.
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