Polling for the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections are underway across nine constituencies in the Muzaffarabad Division and all 12 refugee constituencies.
Voting began at 8:00am on Sunday and is scheduled to continue uninterrupted until 5:00pm.
In the Muzaffarabad Division, voters are casting ballots in nine constituencies, including five in Muzaffarabad district, two in Jhelum Valley and two in Neelum district. A total of 207 candidates are competing for these seats.
At the same time, polling is underway in all 12 refugee constituencies, comprising six seats allocated to refugees from the Kashmir Valley and six representing refugees from the Jammu region. Altogether, 137 candidates are contesting these constituencies.
The second phase follows the first round of elections held in Mirpur Division on July 27, where the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured nine of the 13 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won four.
The PPP has accused the ruling PML-N of manipulating the first-phase elections, allegations that the PML-N has firmly denied.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has claimed the party possesses evidence showing voter turnout reached 99% at 30 polling stations. He said the PPP would challenge the disputed results through constitutional and legal channels to recover what it considers its rightful seats.
The third and concluding phase of the AJK elections is scheduled to take place in Poonch Division on August 10.
Speaking at a joint press conference on Saturday, AJK Election Commission Secretary and Senior Member Muhammad Ahsan called on citizens to exercise their right to vote and choose their preferred representatives.
The election officials stressed that voting is a fundamental democratic right, enabling people to shape legislation and governance through elected representatives.
Meanwhile, as polling continued on Sunday, the PPP’s AJK chapter submitted a written complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, alleging electoral malpractice at a polling station.
According to the complaint, PPP AJK election cell in-charge Sardar Abdul Shakoor alleged that workers affiliated with the PML-N were illegally stamping ballot papers at Polling Station No. 24 in constituency LA-32.
Shakoor maintained that the alleged incident undermined the credibility of the electoral process and constituted a breach of the election code of conduct as well as rules governing government employees.
