MUZAFFARABAD/RAWALPINDI: With Mirpur division’s 13 territorial constituencies set to go to the polls in the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections on July 27, authorities on Thursday reviewed security and administrative arrangements and directed all relevant departments to ensure uninterrupted electricity, effective coordination and comprehensive logistical support.
A meeting was chaired by the divisional commissioner and the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police for the Mirpur region with officials from the health, education, highways, electricity, Rescue 1122, civil defence and information departments among the attendees.
Participants reviewed security at polling stations, transportation, medical facilities, control rooms and other logistical measures in the districts of Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli, while officials briefed the meeting on their respective arrangements for polling day.
According to a press release, the commissioner directed the Electricity Department to ensure uninterrupted power supply and eliminate loadshedding during polling, while the Health Department was instructed to keep medical and emergency response arrangements in place.
100 polling stations set up for three LA constituencies in Rawalpindi district, meeting informed
The Education Department was asked to extend full administrative support to the election process.
The commissioner also ordered all departments to nominate focal persons and provide their contact details to facilitate prompt communication and coordinated action in the event of any emergency.
He said the peaceful, transparent and orderly conduct of the elections was a shared responsibility of all institutions, stressing the need for close coordination among the district administration, police and other departments to ensure that the polling process remained uninterrupted.
The DIG told the meeting that comprehensive security arrangements had been made to maintain law and order during the elections, adding that close coordination among the police, district administration and other agencies would help ensure a peaceful polling process.
Separately, the Mirpur deputy commissioner reviewed district-level election preparations and directed all departments to finalise arrangements well before polling day.
He asked officials to maintain close coordination through designated focal persons and ensure a prompt response to any emergency, saying voters should be provided with a safe and peaceful environment to exercise their franchise.
Rawalpindi
The district administration and police in Rawalpindi will help Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission in holding peaceful and transparent polls on August 2 for three refugee seats in the district.
According to the Election Commission, three refugee constituencies for the AJK Legislative Assembly are in the limits of Rawalpindi – LA-43 Valley-IV, LA-44 Valley-V and LA-39 Jammu-VI.
There are total 27,907 registered voters for these constituencies including 14,917 men and 12,990 women. LA-43 Valley-IV, covering Rawalpindi city, has 3,346 registered voters (1,750 male and 1,596 female). LA-44 Valley-V, having Kashmiri refugees residing in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, has 3,754 voters (1,945 male and 1,809 female).
The third seat, LA-39 Jammu-VI, has 20,807 registered voters (11,222 male and 9,585 female) and it covers voters across Rawalpindi city and Islamabad. Pakistan People’s Party (PP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, Jamaat-i-Islami and several independent candidates have started their election campaign through corner meetings, door-to-door drives and public rallies across the constituencies.
On the other hand, a meeting, jointly chaired by Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir and City Police Officer (CPO) Hassan Mushtaq Sukhaira, reviewed arrangements for the polls.
The participants reviewed the election arrangements, security measures, safe transportation of election material, emergency response planning, traffic management, and other administrative matters.
An Election Commission representative informed the meeting that 100 polling stations had been established across Rawalpindi district of which 18 had been declared sensitive.
It was decided that extraordinary security arrangements would be made at all sensitive polling stations. One hundred police personnel will be deployed, while CCTV cameras installed at these locations will be linked with the Safe City surveillance system to ensure continuous monitoring.
The meeting directed departments concerned to maintain close coordination for the timely and secure transportation of election material, smooth movement of polling staff, effective traffic management, and prompt response to any emergency situation.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir and CPO directed all departments to perform their responsibilities with professionalism and commitment to ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful, transparent, and orderly manner, while providing voters with a safe, secure, and convenient environment for casting their votes.
Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2026