Election campaigning has officially wrapped up ahead of the AJK second phase elections, with the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir confirming that all preparations are in place for Sunday’s polling.
The commission has finalized every arrangement required for this stage of the Legislative Assembly’s general elections, clearing the way for voters to head to the polls tomorrow.
Where Voting Will Take Place
The second round of polling covers nine constituencies within the Muzaffarabad Division, along with 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled across various parts of the country. Together, these constituencies represent a significant share of the overall electoral process in this phase.
Officials expect a tightly contested race between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), two of the region’s dominant political forces. In the Muzaffarabad Division alone, 208 candidates are in the running, with 143 of them specifically contesting refugee seats. More than 1.2 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase of the AJK elections.
Security Arrangements for Polling Day
To ensure a smooth and secure voting process, police deployment has been graded according to the sensitivity of each polling station. The most sensitive stations will be guarded by eight police personnel, sensitive stations will have six officers on duty, and normal polling stations will be staffed by four personnel each.
Bilawal Demands Transparency Over First Phase
Ahead of this second round of voting, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari renewed his call for open hearings into complaints of alleged irregularities during the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections.
Writing on the social media platform X, Bilawal said the credibility of the earlier phase would ultimately be judged by how well fairness, transparency and impartiality were upheld throughout the voting process.
What Comes Next
With campaigning now concluded, all eyes turn to Sunday’s polling, where the outcome in Muzaffarabad Division and the refugee constituencies could shape the broader results of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections. As the AJK second phase elections proceed, both major parties will be watching closely to see whether turnout and results mirror trends from the first phase, or shift the political balance heading into the final stretch of the election cycle.