Election commission announces revised schedule for third phase of AJK polls

• Polling to be held in Bagh and Haveli districts.
• Polls previously scheduled across four districts.
• First, second phases held on July 27 and August 2.

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday revised the schedule for the third phase of elections, postponing polling in Poonch and Sudhanoti districts.

Under the previous schedule, elections were set to take place on 11 seats across four districts of the Poonch division during the third phase on August 10.

However, the AJK election commissioner said that polls in the third phase will now be held in Bagh and Haveli districts.

The first and second phases of elections were held on July 27 and August 2 in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad Divisions, respectively.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is poised to form the government in the AJK after Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah claimed the party had secured a simple majority.

The second phase of the AJK polls was conducted across 21 constituencies, comprising nine seats in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan.

According to unofficial and unconfirmed results, the PML-N emerged as the leading party, securing 15 of the 21 contested seats, while the PPP secured six seats.

In the first phase of the AJK elections, the PML-N had secured victory in nine constituencies while the PPP secured four, according to unofficial and provisional results.

Both phases, however, were marred by rigging and violence allegations levelled by the PPP.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the federal government’s “countdown has begun” after his party secured fewer seats in the “rigged” elections.

In a video message on August 3, the PPP chief described the polls as “neither free nor fair”, alleging they were “bullet elections”, “murderous elections” and “bloody elections”.

PML-N rejected the allegations, with Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah challenging the PPP to present any evidence it had before the election commission.

Speaking to Truth Wire, he accused the Bilawal-led party of promoting a rigging narrative from the outset, insisting that allegations should be backed by evidence rather than political claims.