First phase covers Mirpur Division’s 13 constituencies, comprising 4 seats in Mirpur, 3 in Bhimber, 6 in Kotli
Over 1.4m voters head to polls as first phase of AJK elections begins. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Polling for the first phase of the 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections began peacefully across Mirpur Division on Monday, with more than 1.4 million voters expected to cast their ballots under extensive security arrangements involving over 19,000 security personnel and thousands of election officials.
The elections are being held in three phases under a revised schedule announced by AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal on July 21. The first phase covers all 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, while polling in Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee constituencies will be held on August 2, followed by Poonch (Rawalakot) Division on August 10.
Polling commenced at 8:00am and will continue uninterrupted until 5:00pm, with police, the Pakistan Army, Rangers and other law enforcement personnel deployed at polling stations to ensure a peaceful electoral process.
More than 1.4 million registered voters are eligible to vote across Mirpur Division’s 13 constituencies, comprising four seats in Mirpur district, three in Bhimber and six in Kotli. The Election Commission has established 2,454 polling stations and 3,701 polling booths, while around 22,000 election officials have been deployed to conduct the polling process.
Authorities have declared 1,965 polling stations as sensitive or highly sensitive. To maintain law and order, more than 19,000 security personnel have been deployed across the division, including 17,000 police personnel, while 2,100 Army troops remain on standby as a backup force.
Read: Over 17,000 security personnel deployed as AJK polling begins today
In Constituency LA-1 Dadyal, polling got underway in a peaceful atmosphere under enhanced security measures. According to the Election Commission, 105,174 registered voters—including 53,211 men and 51,963 women—are eligible to cast their ballots in the constituency.
The Election Commission has established 139 polling stations and 234 polling booths in LA-1 Dadyal. Local authorities have declared all 139 polling stations sensitive, with security personnel deployed throughout the constituency.
A total of 288 candidates are contesting the 13 Legislative Assembly seats in Mirpur Division. As in previous elections, the main contests are expected to be between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and, in some constituencies, influential independent candidates.
The elections are being conducted under the supervision of the AJK Election Commission, with security and civil authorities monitoring the polling process across the region.
