• Says army, paramilitary and civil armed forces will supervise process
• Claims ‘99pc’ of electoral rolls ‘free from errors’
• Declares immediate ban on postings, transfers and creation of new posts
• Election Commission appoints 10 DROs and 33 ROs
MUZAFFARABAD: The general elections for the 45 direct seats of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly will be held on July 27 under the supervision of the army and other security forces, the region’s chief election commissioner (CEC), retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, announced here on Friday.
Addressing a press conference flanked by commission member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, Secretary Raja Shakeel Khan and other officials, the CEC said he had sought the deployment of the army, in addition to paramilitary and civil armed forces, to ensure that the elections were free, fair and transparent.
“Let me reiterate that the elections will be free, fair and transparent. We will make every effort to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote freely,” he said.
Referring to concerns raised in some quarters about the commission’s ability to hold the elections, he said the commission had remained ready from day one to fulfil its constitutional responsibility.
He acknowledged that the introduction of a Nadra-linked system for computerised electoral rolls had initially led to complaints about errors, including the transfer of votes from one constituency to another.
However, he added that the “tireless efforts of the administration, election officials and the exemplary cooperation of Nadra” had helped the commission rectify omissions and inaccuracies, making “99 per cent of the electoral rolls free from errors”.
Election schedule
Regarding the election schedule, he said candidates would be able to file their nomination papers with returning officers (ROs) from June 9 until 4pm on June 19.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will commence on June 20, and the list of validly nominated candidates will also be published on the same day.
Candidates will be able to file appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers with the commission from June 21 to June 24.
The appeals will be heard on June 26 and 27 between 9am and 4pm.
Decisions on the appeals will be announced on June 28 and 29. The CEC added that candidates would be allowed to withdraw their nomination papers until 2pm on June 30.
The final list of contesting candidates will be published on July 1, while election symbols will be allotted on July 2. “Polling will be held on July 27 from 8am to 5pm,” he added.
The CEC also announced an immediate ban on postings, transfers and the creation of new posts. Transfers and postings in unavoidable cases will require prior approval from the commission.
Similarly, he said, the approval of new development schemes, as well as the release of electricity poles and water supply pipes — practices often viewed as pre-poll inducements — had also been prohibited with the exception of those already included in the Annual Development Programme.
On the 12 constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, Mr Mughal said elections on those seats had previously been conducted under judicial supervision.
However, after Pakistan’s judiciary withdrew from the process, the responsibility would be carried out by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the strike call by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), he said if there was any disturbance, it was “the constitutional responsibility of the government to provide a fear-free environment for free and fair polls”.
He added that prolonged protests or sit-ins could affect election-related activities.
Appointments
Meanwhile, the Election Commission also appointed 10 district returning officers (DROs) for as many AJK districts. It also appointed 33 ROs and 33 assistant returning officers (AROs) for an equal number of constituencies in AJK.
Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026
