Polling for 2nd phase of LB elections kicks off in Azad Kashmir

The second phase of local body elections kicked off in Azad Kashmir on Saturday with large number of people were witnessed lined up outside the polling stations, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Local body polls are also being conducted in four districts of Poonch Division which included Poonch, Rawalakot, Haveli and Bagh.

The number of voters in Poonch Division is 10,17,368, out of them 5,36,984 are male whereas 4,80,384 are female.

Polling started in district Haveli where a total of 101,127 voters will practise their right to vote. As many as 174 polling stations and 267 polling booths have been established in the district and 354 candidates are contesting 112 seats. Polling will continue until 5 PM.

Elections are being conducted on 12 seats of the union council, 97 seats of the local councilor, and 3 seats of the municipal committee. More than 1,100 police personnel are deployed at 174 polling stations to avoid any untoward incident.

Two police personnel are deployed to normal polling stations, four to sensitive polling stations, and five to highly-sensitive polling stations. 354 candidates are also contesting for 61 seats of district councilor in the district.

A total of 406 polling stations have been declared sensitive and 547 polling stations have been declared highly sensitive in Rawalakot.

The contest is being conducted between 3,847 candidates in Rawalakaot where a heavy contingent of police has been deployed. 24 candidates have been elected unopposed on the Rawalakot wards level. A contest is being conducted among candidates for 29 district councils and 246 wards councils in Rawalakot. There is one ballot paper for Rawalakot urban council and two ballot papers for the rural council.

On the other hand, polling is also being conducted in district Bagh of Poonch division. As many as 1,256 candidates are contesting in 28 union councils of Bagh. The total number of male voters in Bagh is 1,58,033 whereas the number of female voters is 1,42,654. 158 male polling stations and 153 female polling stations have been established in Bagh. 84 polling stations have been declared sensitive whereas 219 have been declared highly sensitive.

10 injured in clash during AJK LG polls

As many as 10 people were injured during a violent clash between two groups at polling station number 26 located in Tehsil Khursheed Abad of Haveli district, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Saturday. 

Polling has been paused and an additional contingent of police has been deployed at the polling station. During the clash window glass of the polling station was also shattered. 

Negotiations are underway with members of the Aman Committee appointed at the polling station.

Reporters Syed Masood Gardezi, Nazia Khurshid and Umer Butt