Second phase of AJK polls begins in Muzaffarabad division amid coalition tensions

The second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) elections commenced Sunday morning, with polling taking place across nine constituencies in the Muzaffarabad division and 12 designated refugee constituencies. Voting began at 8 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. without interruption.

More than 300 candidates are vying for these seats. Specifically, 207 candidates are competing for the nine seats in Muzaffarabad division, which includes five in Muzaffarabad district and two each in Neelum and Jhelum Valley districts. An additional 137 candidates are contesting the 12 refugee constituencies, representing individuals from the Kashmir Valley and Jammu regions.

The electoral process involves a substantial number of voters, with 809,621 registered in Muzaffarabad division and 438,834 across the 12 refugee constituencies. The AJK Election Commission has established 1,483 polling stations in Muzaffarabad division, categorizing 533 as highly sensitive, 741 as sensitive, and 209 as normal. For the refugee constituencies, 1,057 polling stations have been set up.

Adding a layer of complexity to the elections are ongoing tensions between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), coalition partners at the federal level. The parties have been engaged in a public dispute following the PML-N's victory in Mirpur during the first phase of the AJK elections. Despite multiple rounds of talks aimed at de-escalating the situation and exploring legal resolutions, disagreements over alleged rigging and demands for re-polling persist.