{"id":129772,"date":"2026-07-21T17:24:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:24:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?p=129772"},"modified":"2026-07-21T17:24:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T12:24:53","slug":"ajk-election-commissioner-says-polls-to-be-held-in-three-phases-beginning-july-27","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/","title":{"rendered":"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)-  The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday announced that elections in the region, which were\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2005383\">originally slated\u00a0<\/a>for July 27, would now be held in three phases ending on August 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal made the announcement at a press conference, citing the need to ensure the availability of army personnel for security duties at the insistence of participating political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The election commissioner said that polls will be held in three phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>July 27: 13 constituencies of Mirpur division<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August 2: nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August 10: 11 constituencies of Poonch division<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CEC Mughal explained that the decision was made so that contingents of the army could be \u201cavailable in all divisions in sufficient numbers\u201d to ensure peaceful polling amid the ongoing situation in AJK, parts of which have been gripped with protests in recent weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEC claimed that political parties were not satisfied with elections being held without the army being deployed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou know the conditions in Balochistan, KP and other places where incidents take place, and where our army is on duty,\u201d he said, referring to the fragile security situation in these provinces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CEC Mughal said that after polling is completed in Mirpur on July 27, the \u201csame army will move to Muzaffarabad\u201d for the August 2 voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He stressed that the changes have been made so that a \u201cfree and fair election\u201d can be held under stringent security provided by the army and other paramilitary forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mughal further stated that the stage-wise polling schedule has been decided after consulting with all political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Responding to a question, the CEC said he believed the stage-wise process would not have a \u201cmajor effect\u201d on the results of areas where polling is held later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He contended that people usually were \u201ccommitted to their parties\u201d, regardless of who wins in a particular division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replying to a query, Mughal said there was a chance that the official notifications for winning candidates would be issued once the entire electoral process had concluded across all AJK divisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Election Commission, he said, was considering whether formal notifications would be issued division-wise or after receiving results from all constituencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the CEC noted that presiding officers would provide polling agents with Forms-24 at the close of polling, enabling them to know the unofficial results the same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked if the stage-wise polling could raise questions over the elections\u2019 transparency, Mughal replied that the new schedule was rather aimed at making the elections more transparent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, he rejected the idea that the Poonch division, where protesters and law enforcers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2015537\">clashed<\/a>&nbsp;as recently as last week, could be excluded from the electoral process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHopefully, the situation will improve. Even if it does not, we are constitutionally bound to hold the elections,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEC asserted that even if the situation \u201cdoes not return to normal, elections have to be conducted\u201d as they were a constitutional requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rejecting suggestions that the situation in AJK had become too volatile for elections, Mughal pointed to the enthusiastic participation in advance polling by government employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe 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,&nbsp;and voters can freely exercise their right to vote,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about internet shutdowns hampering the transmission of reporting from journalists, the CEC said, \u201cWe have tried to ensure that you do not face internet shutdowns on election day and can freely share results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeyond that, it is not the Election Commission\u2019s job to decide how the state is run. Our responsibility is to conduct the elections,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replying to another question, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur doors remain open to all observers, including those coming from Pakistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CEC was flanked by Senior Member Khawaja Muhammad Ahsan, Member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, and Secretary Raja Muhammad Shakeel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, speaking to&nbsp;<em>Dawn<\/em>, CEC Mughal said the amendment to the election schedule had been made under Section 37 of the Jammu and Kashmir Elections Act, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 37 empowers the Election Commission to alter the election programme, after the issuance of the election notification, if it considers such changes necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2017254\/ajk-election-commissioner-says-polls-to-be-held-in-three-phases-beginning-july-27#election-campaigns\"><\/a>Election campaigns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PML-N and PPP have stepped up their election campaigns recently, with their top leadership taking charge of the election campaign to galvanise their support base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Observers&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2016877\">see this election<\/a>&nbsp;as PPP vs PML-N \u2014 with some claiming that the election campaign will be trickier for the PML-N because of resentment against the political party over its purported role in the crackdown on protests led by the banned JAAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The PPP has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2011985\">allied<\/a>&nbsp;with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam\u2014Fazl (JUI-F) to jointly contest the polls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last month, the PPP&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2011453\">finalised<\/a>&nbsp;its candidates for 35 of the 45 AJK assembly seats, while withholding decisions on eight constituencies and allocating two seats to its electoral ally JUI-F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The regional administration and the JAAC have been at odds over various issues, most notably the committee\u2019s demand to abolish the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2002661\"><u>12 seats<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;in the region\u2019s Legislative Assembly that are reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir who settled in mainland Pakistan after 1947.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following the JAAC\u2019s call for widespread protests on June 9 demanding the abolition of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2002661\"><u>12 seats<\/u><\/a>, it was&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2005462\">declared<\/a>&nbsp;a proscribed organisation on June 5. JAAC protests and the administration\u2019s response have repeatedly turned violent over the past few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PPP\u2019s Raja Pervez Ashraf&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawn.com\/news\/2014303\">has said<\/a>&nbsp;that the issue of refugee seats is constitutional in nature and would be decided by the upcoming AJK Legislative Assembly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday announced that elections in the region, which were\u00a0originally slated\u00a0for July 27, would now be held in three phases ending on August 10. AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal made the announcement at a press conference, citing the need to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":129773,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27 - Nation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27 - Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday announced that elections in the region, which were\u00a0originally slated\u00a0for July 27, would now be held in three phases ending on August 10. AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal made the announcement at a press conference, citing the need to [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-21T12:24:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-21T12:24:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Untitled-design-5-33.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"670\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"370\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"humza Jahangir\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/\",\"name\":\"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27 - Nation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Untitled-design-5-33.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-21T12:24:52+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-21T12:24:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Untitled-design-5-33.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Untitled-design-5-33.png\",\"width\":670,\"height\":370},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/\",\"name\":\"Nation\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/27efa35fa76e99f3ad7e7397d7332c16\",\"name\":\"humza Jahangir\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/43feedd99bd6a90080d1621b7e6604364acb673ee979d3ffe5075557c14c68b9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"humza Jahangir\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/author\/humza\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27 - Nation","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nationaltimes.pk\/eng\/2026\/129772\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27 - Nation","og_description":"MUZAFFARABAD(National Times)- The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday announced that elections in the region, which were\u00a0originally slated\u00a0for July 27, would now be held in three phases ending on August 10. 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