Muzaffarabad: Voting is underway in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with polling taking place in nine constituencies of the Muzaffarabad Division alongside the 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir.
The Muzaffarabad Division phase covers two constituencies in Neelum Valley — LA-25 and LA-26 — and seven constituencies within Muzaffarabad city, LA-27 through LA-33.
Separately, voting is also being held for the AJK Legislative Assembly’s 12 reserved seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir settled in Pakistan. Of these seats, eight are elected from Punjab, two from Sindh, and one each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The third and final phase of the elections is scheduled for August 10 in the Poonch Division, comprising four seats in Bagh, five in Poonch, and two in Sudhnoti.
Mixed Reports on Polling Day
Voter turnout and polling conditions have varied across the nine Muzaffarabad Division constituencies, with several areas reporting delays or disruptions.
Polling proceeded without interruption in LA-25 and LA-26 in Neelum Valley.
However, polling in LA-27 (Muzaffarabad) was postponed altogether. Election Commission Secretary Raja Muhammad Shakeel said polling materials could not be delivered to the constituency due to bad weather and landslides. A total of 196 polling stations had been set up in LA-27.
In LA-28 Muzaffarabad, polling postponed at 57 stations, after staff were unable to reach the stations due to heavy rain and adverse weather conditions, Election Commission AJK said in a statement.
Earlier there were reports that in LA-28, polling failed to begin in Union Council Noora Seri after polling materials did not arrive. The Panjgran, Kanwar, and Panjkot union councils were similarly affected, with both polling materials and staff failing to reach the areas.
Disturbances were reported at Lower Plate High School No. 2 in LA-29 (Muzaffarabad), though further details on the nature of the disruption were not immediately available.
In LA-31 (Muzaffarabad-5), polling had not started in the Jhandgran area of Khawra or in Union Council Komi Kot, both attributed to the non-arrival of polling materials.