The second phase of the Azad Kashmir Elections is underway as voters head to polling stations across the Muzaffarabad Division and designated refugee constituencies. Polling started at 8:00 a.m. and will continue uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m., with election authorities expecting steady voter participation throughout the day.
In this phase, voting is taking place for nine constituencies in the Muzaffarabad Division and twelve refugee seats. Election officials have established 1,483 polling stations across the division to facilitate voters. Refugees from Jammu and the Kashmir Valley are also casting their votes in polling centers located in different cities across Pakistan.
Polling has also commenced in Karachi for Jammu-1 and Kashmir Valley-1 constituencies. A total of 34 polling stations have been set up for these two seats. Election officials said 698 registered voters are eligible to vote in the Jammu-1 constituency in Karachi, while approximately 4,200 registered voters are listed for the Kashmir Valley-1 seat.
Meanwhile, polling is being held in Rawalpindi and Islamabad for three refugee constituencies, including LA-43 Valley-4, LA-44 Valley-5, and LA-39 Jammu-6. These constituencies are witnessing contests among candidates representing major political parties, independent candidates, and regional political groups.
In LA-43 Valley-4, 12 candidates are competing for the seat, while LA-44 Valley-5 has eight candidates in the race. LA-39 Jammu-6 features 14 candidates. Prominent political parties participating include the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Muslim Conference.
According to election authorities, LA-43 Valley-4 has 3,346 registered voters, including more than 1,600 women. LA-44 Valley-5 has 6,996 registered voters, with 3,294 female voters. LA-39 Jammu-6 has nearly 37,000 registered voters and covers areas including Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock, Peshawar, and Talagang.
The Election Commission has established 10 polling stations for LA-43 Valley-4, 27 polling stations for LA-44 Valley-5, and 155 polling stations for LA-39 Jammu-6. Across the three districts of the Muzaffarabad Division, the total number of registered voters stands at 890,621, including 427,955 male and 381,666 female voters. Officials have urged citizens to exercise their democratic right peacefully as the Azad Kashmir Elections continue under established electoral procedures.
