MUZAFFARABAD – The polling for eight reserved seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly began on Monday as the process to complete the composition of the 53-member house moved forward.
The polling started at 10am and will continue until 2pm. The Secretary of the AJK Election Commission is serving as the presiding officer for the voting process.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Majid Khan cast the first vote as polling got underway.
The election is being held for five seats reserved for women, while one seat each has been allocated for a technocrat, religious scholars and spiritual leaders, and overseas Kashmiris.
The reserved-seat elections are considered an important step toward completing the Assembly and paving the way for the next phase of the political process in Azad Kashmir.
After the Assembly is fully constituted, the newly elected members will take their oath. The house will subsequently elect the speaker and deputy speaker.
The process of government formation is currently taking place without seven members because elections in Poonch and Sudhnoti could not be held. The absence of these members has affected the completion of the Assembly’s overall composition.
The political parties have been closely monitoring the reserved-seat elections as the results are expected to influence the numerical strength of various parliamentary groups and the balance of power in the Assembly.
The election officials have made arrangements for polling to ensure that voting is conducted according to the prescribed rules and procedures. Members eligible to vote are casting their ballots during the four-hour polling period.
The completion of the reserved-seat elections will allow the AJK Assembly to move toward its full constitutional and parliamentary functioning.
Following the oath-taking of the new members, attention will shift to the election of the speaker and deputy speaker, key offices required for the Assembly to begin its legislative proceedings.
The developments are being closely watched as political parties prepare for the next stage of government formation and parliamentary activity in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The completion of the process is expected to provide greater clarity on the political setup and enable the newly constituted Assembly to formally begin its legislative work.
