Polling continues in second phase of AJK elections

Voting is underway in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with

Voting is underway in the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with polling taking place for nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division and 12 refugee constituencies located across different parts of Pakistan.

Polling began at 8:00am and will continue without interruption until 5:00pm. Election authorities have urged voters to reach their designated polling stations before the closing time to cast their ballots.

Extensive security arrangements have been made to ensure peaceful polling throughout the election process. Officials said 1,483 polling stations have been established across Muzaffarabad Division, while election staff and security personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order.

The second phase is considered an important stage of the AJK elections, as thousands of voters are participating in the selection of representatives for the Legislative Assembly.

Alongside the nine seats in Muzaffarabad Division, polling is also being held for 12 refugee constituencies representing Kashmiri refugees residing in various cities across Pakistan. These include six Jammu seats and six Kashmir Valley seats.

In Karachi, polling is being conducted for LA-34 (Jammu-I) and LA-40 (Kashmir Valley-I). Election officials have established 34 polling stations to facilitate voters in the city.

According to election authorities, 698 registered voters are eligible to vote in the Jammu-I constituency in Karachi, while the Kashmir Valley-I constituency has 4,200 registered voters.

Polling is also in progress for three refugee constituencies in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, including LA-43 (Valley-IV), LA-44 (Valley-V) and LA-39 (Jammu-VI).

Election officials said 12 candidates are contesting LA-43, while eight candidates are in the race for LA-44. A total of 14 candidates are contesting the LA-39 constituency.

LA-43 has 3,346 registered voters, including more than 1,600 women voters. LA-44 has 6,996 registered voters, including 3,294 women, while nearly 37,000 voters are registered in LA-39, making it one of the largest refugee constituencies in the current election phase.

To facilitate voting, the District Election Commission has established 10 polling stations for LA-43, 27 polling stations for LA-44 and 155 polling stations for LA-39.

Election officials said polling is continuing under strict security, with law enforcement agencies deployed at polling stations and sensitive locations to ensure a peaceful voting environment. Authorities are closely monitoring the electoral process and have urged political workers and voters to follow election rules.