MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jam­mu and Kashmir Election Commission (AJK-EC) has reiterated that only political parties duly registered under the Elections Act, 2020, will be eligible to contest the forthcoming elections to the region’s Legislative Assembly.

It warned parties with incomplete registration that they would neither enjoy statutory privileges nor be allowed to contest polls on an allocated electoral symbol.

The clarification follows an AJK High Court judgement dated Oct 5, 2023, which set aside the registration of the AJK chapters of the PPP, PML-N and PTI and other parties on the grounds that the registration process did not conform to the requirements of the law and the Constitution of the region.

In its judgement, the court observed that the Elections Act and Rules prescribed mandatory conditions for party registration, including submission of a party constitution, manifesto, audited consolidated accounts, lists of members with proof of identity, and evidence of intra-party elections. The bench further noted that despite failure to fulfil several of these conditions, the parties had been granted provisional and later regular registration, rendering the process unlawful.

Following the judgement, the EC issued notices to all political parties, directing them to remove deficiencies identified by the court and resubmit complete documentation.

In the aftermath of the ruling, mass defections of lawmakers elected on PTI tickets in 2021 to the PPP and the PML-N were overlooked by the relevant authorities.

“In pursuance of the High Court’s judgement, all political parties that do not presently fall within the definition of registered political parties are hereby informed that unless and until they complete all requisite documentation in accordance with the applicable rules, they shall neither be entitled to any privileges of a registered political party nor be eligible to contest any forthcoming election on a specific electoral symbol,” the EC said on Saturday.

“Accordingly, the heads of all political parties whose registration is currently under process are advised to urgently submit the required documents in line with the intent of the AJK Elections Act, 2020, the Elections Rules, 2020, and the High Court’s judgement, so that the registration process may be finalised.”

An official at the Election Commission told Dawn that registration had been granted to five parties between July and October 2024 after fulfilment of legal requirements.

The parties registered so far included the PML-N and the PPP, along with three relatively lesser-known organisations — Jamaat-i-Falah-i-Insaniyat, Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith and Sada-i-Haq Party — none of which has had parliamentary representation in the past.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2026