MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission has revised the schedule for the third phase of Legislative Assembly elections, allowing polling to proceed in Bagh and Haveli on August 10 but postponing voting in Poonch district and Pallandri over concerns about the law and order situation.
The decision was announced on Friday after the commission reviewed the security situation in areas where polling was due to take place.
Under the revised schedule, voters in three constituencies of Bagh district and one constituency in Haveli will cast their ballots on August 10 as originally planned.
However, polling in the five constituencies of Poonch district and one constituency in Pallandri, in Sudhnoti district, will not take place on that date.
The Election Commission said it would announce fresh polling dates and issue a revised election schedule for the affected constituencies after assessing the situation and considering all relevant factors.
According to the commission, the decision followed a report from the AJK home secretary highlighting concerns about law and order in parts of Poonch and Pallandri.
It also received requests from political figures and candidates from the affected districts seeking postponement of the polls in view of the prevailing situation.
The commission said the postponement was made solely on security grounds to ensure that elections were conducted in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful environment.
Three-phase election
The AJK Legislative Assembly elections are being conducted in three phases. Polling in the Mirpur Division was held on July 27, followed by elections in the Muzaffarabad Division on August 2.
The final phase was originally scheduled for August 10 in Poonch Division, which comprises 11 constituencies – three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti.
The revised schedule means that only four of those constituencies will now go to the polls on August 10, while voting in the remaining six affected constituencies will be held at a later date.
New assembly can take oath
Earlier this week, AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said security considerations and the safety of voters were important factors in determining whether elections could be held as scheduled.
He also addressed questions about the constitutional position of the Legislative Assembly if polling could not be completed in all constituencies.
According to Mr Mughal, the existing AJK Legislative Assembly ceased to exist after August 4 under the region’s Constitution. He said that even if elections could not be held in a few constituencies, this would not prevent successful candidates from other constituencies from taking oath or carrying out their constitutional functions.
The new assembly, he explained, would take oath after completion of the August 10 polling process. The Election Commission is expected to announce fresh dates for Poonch and Pallandri once the security situation has been reviewed.
