Polling is underway in four constituencies of Poonch Division, with around 460,000 voters eligible to cast their ballots amid tight security arrangements.
Polling for the third phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections began on Monday in four constituencies across Bagh and Haveli districts of Poonch Division.
According to the AJK chief election commissioner, around 460,000 registered voters are eligible to exercise their right to vote in the four constituencies.
Polling started at 8am and is scheduled to continue until 5pm, the AJK Election Commission said.
The election authorities said security arrangements had been completed across all four constituencies to ensure a peaceful polling process and facilitate voters.
Polling Postponed in Poonch and Sudhnoti
While voting is taking place in Bagh and Haveli, elections for five seats in Poonch district and two seats in Sudhnoti district have been postponed.
The AJK chief election commissioner had previously said that the polling schedule for Rawalakot could be announced within a few days once the issue surrounding ongoing sit-ins was resolved.
The postponement means the electoral process in parts of Poonch Division will be completed at a later stage.
PML-N Leads After First Two Phases
The third phase comes after voting was held in other parts of AJK during the first two phases.
In the first phase, voters in the Mirpur division elected representatives on 13 seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) secured four.
The second phase covered nine seats in the Muzaffarabad division as well as 12 seats reserved for refugees.
According to the results cited in the report, the PML-N won 15 seats in the second phase, while the PPP secured six.
Following the first two phases, the PML-N has emerged as the dominant political force, with 24 seats, compared with 10 seats won by the PPP.
The remaining contests could therefore play an important role in determining the balance of power in the AJK Legislative Assembly.
PML-N Six Seats Away From Two-Thirds Majority in AJK, Says Sanaullah
PML-N Eyes Two-Thirds Majority
The election results have also intensified political competition between the PML-N and PPP.
PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on August 8 that his party needed only six additional seats to secure a two-thirds majority in the AJK Assembly.
A two-thirds majority would give the ruling party greater strength in the legislature and could make it easier to pass measures requiring a broader parliamentary majority.
However, the PPP has rejected the PML-N’s confidence about forming the next government.
Bilawal Challenges PML-N Claims
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said a day before Rana Sanaullah’s remarks that the PML-N was mistaken if it believed it would form the government in AJK.
Bilawal also made a broader political claim, saying that the PML-N’s government in Islamabad was itself facing political risks.
He reiterated that the “countdown” for the PML-N government had begun and claimed that the process had been initiated by members of the party itself.
The contrasting statements reflect the growing political contest surrounding the AJK elections, with both major parties seeking to project confidence ahead of the remaining polls.
Security and Voter Turnout in Focus
With polling continuing until 5pm, voter turnout and the conduct of the election will remain key points of attention.
The election authorities have emphasised that security arrangements have been completed across the four constituencies participating in the third phase.
The results from Bagh and Haveli, together with the postponed contests in Poonch and Sudhnoti, will help determine the final composition of the AJK Legislative Assembly and the political balance between the major parties.
For now, the PML-N holds a clear lead based on the results of the first two phases, but the final outcome will depend on the remaining constituencies and the seats where polling has been postponed.
