AJK election commissioner says polls to be held in three phases beginning July 27

Get the latest news and updates from Dawn

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 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 ensure the availability of army personnel for security duties at the insistence of participating political parties.

The election commissioner said that polls will be held in three phases:

CEC Mughal explained that the decision was made so that contingents of the army could be “available in all divisions in sufficient numbers” to ensure peaceful polling amid the ongoing situation in AJK, parts of which have been gripped with protests in recent weeks.