The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday revised the schedule for the third phase of elections in the region, saying polling in seven of the 11 constituencies of Poonch Division had been postponed due to concerns over the law and order situation in those areas.

However, the electoral process will go ahead as planned on August 10 in the division’s Bagh and Haveli districts, the Election Commission said in a press release.

Elections are being held across AJK in three phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities. Polls in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions were held on July 27 and August 2, respectively. The third phase in Poonch division is set for August 10.

Poonch Division comprises 11 constituencies — three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti district.

In its press release, the AJK Election Commission said polling will be held in the three constituencies of Bagh and one of Haveli on August 10 as per the previous schedule.

However, the electoral process in the constituencies of Poonch district and Sudhnoti’s Pallandri will not be held on August 10, it said.

The Election Commission said it reviewed the “current situation” regarding the scheduled elections in Poonch.

It noted that according to a report it received from the AJK home secretary, there were “concerns over the law and order situation in some areas of Poonch district and Pallandri district”.

“Moreover, the Election Commission received requests from some political personalities and candidates hailing from these districts, in which it has been requested to postpone the elections in Poonch district and Pallandri district considering the current situation,” the press release read.

The electoral watchdog said it will announce the new polling dates and a revised election schedule for Poonch and Pallandri after reviewing the situation and “considering all relevant matters”.

The commission clarified that the decision to postpone some of the polls was taken “only in the context of the current law and order situation to ensure that elections are held in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful environment”.

The Election Commission’s decision comes in the wake of clashes that took place between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot on July 27, which reportedly resulted in several casualties.

The now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now.

More to follow