MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission said on Friday that it had made extraordinary security arrangements for smooth polling at 23 stations in two constituencies of Bagh district today.
“Since we have more than enough police and other law enforcement personnel available, we have made adequate deployment at the polling stations to provide a fear-free environment to voters,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal told Dawn.
He said the army’s Quick Response Force (QRF) was also on alert to maintain law and order.
In the third phase of polling on Monday, PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar secured 16,637 votes in LA-15 (Bagh Central), followed by PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas with 15,015 and Jamaat-i-Islami’s retired Brig Dr Muhammad Khan with 12,259.
Voting to be held at 23 stations in two constituencies
As polling could not be held at nine stations in the constituency, the commission withheld the result.
Mr Qamar is leading Mr Minhas by 1,622 votes, while the nine stations where fresh polling or repolling is to be held on Saturday have a combined 5,032 registered voters.
According to the commission’s secretary Raja Muhammad Shakeel, Mr Qamar had sought cancellation of the repolling and his declaration as the returned candidate. His plea, however, was dismissed by the commission on Thursday.
Similarly, the result of LA-16 (Eastern Bagh) was also withheld after polling could not be held at 14 stations, which have a combined 7,238 registered voters.
Results from the remaining polling stations showed that PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar, who secured 19,515 votes, was leading his closest rival, PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, by 3,225 votes.
In both constituencies, all five candidates had accused their opponents of massive rigging.
‘Relocate or cancel’
The CEC said polling staff and material had reached all 23 stations and voting would be held from 8am to 5pm.
However, access to two polling stations in LA-15 was through the troubled Poonch district, which was one of the reasons for the disruption of polling there on Monday.
Justice Mughal said although polling staff and material had reached the stations, the commission was considering either relocating them to nearby safer areas or cancelling polling altogether.
“In case the [law and order] situation becomes out of control in any area, the commission is empowered to order cancellation of polling at any particular station or stations,” he said.
Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2026
