ISLAMABAD: Polling for the first phase of general election in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Mirpur division came to an end on Monday evening, the regional election commission said, with people exercising their right to vote in 13 constituencies amid heavy security and protests in the territory.
The chief election commissioner last week announced general election in the region will be held in three phases from July 27 across different divisions, following weeks of unrest in the internationally disputed region administered by Pakistan.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil rights movement banned by the authorities last month under anti-terrorism laws, has led protests in recent weeks that have caused clashes with law enforcers and led to around 30 deaths.
Polling in Mirpur division began at 8am on Monday and was initially set to conclude at 5pm. However, the election commission announced that the time for polling had been extended till 6pm due to an “unusual” turnout of voters.
“The chief election commissioner had extended the polling time by one hour on the basis of voter turnout,” the AJK election commission said, adding that the vote count will “begin soon.”
“The process of receiving and transmitting results will continue in a phased manner.”
The voting process continued in a peaceful environment, Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal told reporters.
Local media reported that a man was killed and three others sustained injuries in a clash between two rival groups in the region.
There are over 1.4 million registered voters in Mirpur division, which include 724,811 men and 675,626 women, according to the AJK information ministry. A total of 2,316 polling stations were set up across the division. Of these, 1,241 have been declared “highly sensitive,” 724 “sensitive,” and 351 “normal” polling stations.
A total of 288 candidates are contesting elections across 13 constituencies in Mirpur.
Around 18,560 personnel from law enforcement agencies have been performing security duties in the division, while around 2,100 Pakistan Army soldiers have also been deployed to ensure a smooth election process.
The AJK assembly elections are being held in 45 constituencies, including 33 territorial seats and 12 reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan’s Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.
AZAD KASHMIR PROTESTS
JAAC, which has boycotted the election, has led weeks of protests in the region, demanding the abolition of 12 AJK seats reserved for refugees. The group argues that these seats allow Pakistan’s mainstream political parties to influence government formation in AJK.
Pakistani and Azad Kashmir authorities deny this.
However, JAAC’s campaign suffered a setback last month when the AJK Supreme Court observed that the seats enjoy constitutional protection and cannot be abolished through executive or administrative action.
AJK Chief Secretary Khushal Khan warned of “serious consequences of any attempt to disrupt the polling process or disturb the law and order situation,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Sunday.
Polling in Muzaffarabad division will take place on August 2, according to Chief Election Commissioner Mustafa Mughal. Voting for 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir that are residing in Pakistan will also be held on August 2, while polling in Poonch division will be held on August 10.
