MUZAFFARABAD – The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission (AJKEC) has revised the schedule for the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections, and announced that polling will now take place in three phases to ensure peaceful, transparent and secure elections across the region.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal announced the updated election programme during a press conference on Wednesday, saying the decision was made after consultations with all major political parties.
Under the revised timetable, polling in the 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division will proceed as originally scheduled on July 27.
Voting in the nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad Division, covering the districts of Neelum Valley, Jhelum Valley and Muzaffarabad, along with elections for the 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) residing in Pakistan, will be held on August 2.
The final phase of polling will take place on August 10 in the 11 constituencies of Poonch Division, which includes the districts of Rawalakot, Sudhnoti, Bagh and Haveli.
Justice Mughal reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting elections that are free, fair, impartial and peaceful.
He also announced that international election observers and foreign journalists would be permitted to monitor and report on the electoral process across Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He added that presiding officers would provide polling results to polling agents immediately after voting concludes, in accordance with election laws.
Explaining the decision to stagger the polling, the chief election commissioner said the phased schedule would allow security forces to be deployed more effectively.
He noted that security personnel are currently engaged in duties elsewhere in the country, and conducting the elections in stages would enable authorities to shift forces between divisions, ensuring adequate security arrangements throughout the electoral process.
Justice Mughal further revealed that more than 25,000 government employees in AJK cast their ballots peacefully during advance polling held a day earlier. He expressed optimism that voter participation in the remaining phases would also remain strong.
The revised election schedule received mixed reactions from the public. While many welcomed the move as a measure to strengthen security and ensure orderly polling, others questioned the need for phased elections in Mirpur Division, Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies, arguing that security concerns in those areas were relatively limited.
