Voting for the third phase of the AJK Election is underway in Bagh and Haveli districts.
Polling is taking place in four constituencies of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Voting began at 8am on Monday and is scheduled to continue until 5pm.
Authorities have strengthened security across the four constituencies. Additional personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.
A total of 803 polling stations have been established for the voting process. Most stations are classified as sensitive or highly sensitive.
Over 460,000 Voters Eligible to Cast Ballots
AJK Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel shared details about the security arrangements.
Around 10,300 additional troops have been deployed alongside regular police forces in Bagh and Haveli. Officials aim to provide voters with a secure environment throughout the polling process.
A total of 460,371 registered voters can participate in the third phase. These include 238,664 male voters and 221,707 female voters.
Authorities have established 1,254 polling booths across the four constituencies. As many as 82 candidates are competing for the four Legislative Assembly seats.
Third Phase Limited to Four Constituencies
The third phase of the AJK Election was initially planned across 11 constituencies in Poonch Division. However, the Election Commission changed the schedule because of security concerns.
Polling is currently taking place in three constituencies of Bagh and one constituency of Haveli. Voting in the remaining seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti may take place later this month.
Key Candidates in AJK Election
Several prominent political figures are contesting in the current phase.
AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is contesting from LA-17 Haveli. He faces PML-N candidate Engr Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed.
Rathore and Saeed were previously political allies. They became opponents after Saeed declined to withdraw from the contest.
Another major contest is taking place in LA-15 Wasti Bagh. Former prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is among the candidates in this constituency.
He faces PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas and PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar. Jamaat-i-Islami candidate retired Brig Dr Mohammad Khan is also contesting the seat.
In LA-16 Sharqi Bagh, PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar is among the leading contenders. PPP’s Sardar Qamar Zaman is also competing for the constituency.
Dhirkot Contest Draws Attention
LA-14 Dhirkot has emerged as another closely watched constituency. Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan is contesting the seat.
He faces a strong challenge from Awam Dast-o-Bazu Party candidate Sajid Iqbal Abbasi. The Dhirkot constituency has 30 candidates, the highest number among the four seats.
The first two phases saw PML-N emerge as the leading party with 24 seats. The PPP has secured 10 seats so far.
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Results from the third phase could further shape the political balance in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
