• Elections in Mirpur on July 27, Muzaffarabad and refugee seats on Aug 2, followed by Poonch on Aug 10
• CEC says decision made to ensure security; parties ‘on board’ with tweaks after ‘consultations on phone’
• PTI opposes move, calls for election on same day

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kas­h­­mir (AJK) Election Com­m­i­ssion on Tuesday annou­nced that elections in the region, which were originally slated for July 27, would be held in three pha­ses ending on August 10.

AJK Chief Election Com­m­issioner (CEC) reti­red justice Ghulam Mus­tafa Mughal announced the new schedule at a press conference, citing the need to ensure the availability of the army for security at the “insistence” of participating political parties.

The election commissioner said that polls would be held in 13 constituencies of Mirpur division on July 27, followed by voting in nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies on August 2. The last phase will be held on 11 seats of Poonch on August 10.

CEC Mughal explained that the decision was made so that the army contingents could be “available in all divisions in sufficient numbers” to ensure peaceful polling amid unrest in Kashmir.

“You are aware of the overall situation in Pakis­tan. The army is engaged at various places, but we are grateful to all stak­eholders who, at our req­uest, made arran­g­ements to provide an adequate number of troops. Their movement will begin over the next couple of days,” he said. The CEC claimed that political parties were not satisfied with elections being held without the army being depl­oyed. He said that after polling in Mirpur on July 27, the “same army will move to Muzaf­far­abad” for the August 2 voting.

He claimed that the changes had been made so that a “free and fair election” could be held under stringent security provided by the army and other paramilitary forces. According to the CEC, the schedule has been decided after consulting all political parties.

Although no formal meeting could be convened because election material for Mirpur division had already been dispatched, all parties were consulted over the phone and supported the amendment, he added.

Replying to a query, he said there was a chance that the official notifications for winning candidates would be issued once the entire electoral process had concluded across all divisions.

However, presiding officers would provide polling agents with Forms-24 at the close of polling, enabling them to know the unofficial results the same day, he added.

When asked whether the stage-wise polling could raise questions over transparency, Mr Mughal replied that the new schedule was rather aimed at making the elections more transparent.

Poonch situation

Moreover, he rejected the idea that the Poonch division, where protesters and law enforcers clashed as recently as last week, could be excluded from the electoral process. “Hopefully, the situation will improve. Even if it does not, we are constitutionally bound to hold the elections,” he said.

The CEC asserted that even if the situation “does not return to normal, elections have to be conducted” as it was a constitutional requirement.

Rejecting suggestions that the situation in AJK had bec­ome too volatile for elections, he pointed to the enthusiastic participation in advance polling by government employees.

“The doubts were that elections might not be held at all or could be postponed. By adopting phased polling, we are reinforcing the electoral process so that elections remain peaceful, transparent, and voters can freely exercise their right to vote,” he said.

Asked about internet shutdowns hampering the transmission of reporting from journalists, the CEC said, “We have tried to ensure that you do not face internet shutdowns on election day and can freely share results.”

“Beyond that, it is not the Election Commission’s job to decide how the state is run. Our responsibility is to conduct the elections,” he added.

Replying to another question, Mr Mughal said the Election Commission had extended an open invitation to domestic and international election observers when the election schedule was first announced and was reiterating that invitation.

CEC Mughal later told Dawn that the election schedule was changed under Section 37 of the Jammu and Kashmir Elec­tions Act, 2020. Section 37 emp­owers the Election Commission to alter the election progra­mme, after the issuance of the election notification, if it considers such changes necessary.

PTI opposes new schedule

In a statement, the PTI’s AJK chapter opposed changes, insisting that polling across the territory should be held on the same day after normalcy was restored.

In a statement, PTI regional president Sardar Abdul Qay­yum Niazi said AJK should not be turned into “a political or administrative testing ground”.

He argued that if the Election Commission had concluded that the prevailing situation made it impossible to hold polling in one division on the scheduled date, the same principle should apply to the entire territory. “Holding elections for a single legislative assembly in different phases is inconsistent with the principles of a level playing field, transparency and equality, and may give rise to unnecessary political divisions, uncertainty and disputes,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026