Ghulam Mustafa Mughal

The second phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections will be held on Sunday in nine Muzaffarabad division constituencies and 12 refugee constituencies, with over 340 candidates competing for 21 seats. Security measures include internet suspension and 1,483 polling stations in Muzaffarabad division and 1,057 in refugee areas, with 809,621 and 438,834 registered voters respectively.

PML-N leads in seven constituencies, PPP in five during Mirpur polls; violence and rigging allegations reported. One killed in Nakyal, electoral process criticized for low confidence.

The first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections began in Mirpur division with 288 candidates competing across 13 constituencies. Security measures include 18,560 personnel from police, Rangers, and the Army, with polling held at 2,316 stations. The election is being conducted in three phases due to security concerns, with subsequent phases scheduled for August 2 and August 10.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission announced elections will be held in three phases from July 27 to August 10 due to unavailability of security forces. The phases include polling in Mirpur division on July 27, Muzaffarabad division and refugee constituencies on August 2, and Poonch division on August 10.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court issued an advisory opinion stating that constitutional amendments are not concessions to be forced from the government, following a reference by acting AJK President Chaudhry Latif Akbar. The court emphasized that the constitution is the supreme law of the region and must be amended through a democratic process. The reference arose from the Joint Awami Action Committee's demand to abolish 12 refugee seats in the legislative assembly.