Elections for AJK Legislative Assembly to be held on July 27

The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (ECAJK) has announced July 27, 2026, as the polling date for the upcoming general elections, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

This was announced by AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal at a press conference in Muzaffarabad on Friday.

The AJK CEC maintained that keeping in view the law and order situation the general elections will be held under the supervision Army, Rangers and security forces.

He said process for nomination of papers will start on June 9 and will end on June 19.

In view of the elections, the Chief Election Commissioner has imposed a ban on new government appointments, transfers, and postings across Azad Kashmir. The restriction will remain in place to ensure a fair and transparent electoral process.

The Election Commission has also prohibited the launch of new development schemes and projects during the election period, in line with the election code of conduct.

According to the schedule, the candidates can file their nomination papers with returning officers from June 9 to June 19. It said that the scrutiny of nomination papers would be carried out from June 20, while the list of the eligible candidates would be submitted on the same day.

It stated that the candidates will have between June 21 and June 24 to file appeals against rejection/acceptance of nomination papers, and the appeals will be heard on June 26 and 27 between 9am and 4pm.

According to the notification, the last date for decisions on appeals will be June 28 to June 29, and candidates can withdraw their nomination papers until June 30 before 2pm.

The list of contesting candidates will be published on July 1, and symbols will be allotted along with the final list the next day on July 2.

July 27 was notified as the polling day, with voting to begin at 8am and end at 5pm.

AJK CEC Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, flanked by constitutional member Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani, Secretary Raja Shakeel Khan and other officials, said the elections would be held under the supervision of the Army, paramilitary and civil armed forces. “Let me reiterate that the elections will be free, fair and transparent. We will make every effort to ensure that voters can exercise their right to vote freely,” he said.

Referring to concerns raised in some quarters about the commission’s ability to hold the elections, he said the commission had remained ready from day one to fulfil its constitutional responsibility. “Holding elections is our constitutional obligation, and we have been fully prepared to discharge that responsibility in letter and spirit,” he said.

Justice Mughal said error-free electoral rolls were the cornerstone of free, fair, impartial and credible elections. He acknowledged that the introduction of a computerised voters’ list system had initially led to complaints about errors, including the transfer of votes from one constituency to another.

“While errors in the preliminary rolls could not be ruled out, the tireless efforts of the administration, election officials and the exemplary cooperation of Nadra helped us rectify omissions and inaccuracies,” he said and added “I can now say that 99 per cent of the electoral rolls are transparent and free from errors, providing a sound basis for credible elections.”

The CEC also announced an immediate ban on postings, transfers and the creation of new posts. He said transfers and postings in unavoidable cases would require prior approval from the commission.

Similarly, he said, approval of new development schemes, as well as the release of electricity poles and water supply pipes — practices often viewed as pre-poll inducements — had also been prohibited. However, projects already included in the Annual Development Programme would continue without interruption.

On the 12 constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, Justice Mughal said that elections on those seats had previously been conducted under judicial supervision, but after the judiciary withdrew from the process the responsibility would now be carried out by officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Justice Mughal expressed confidence that the upcoming elections would be as peaceful and transparent as those held in 2016.

Responding to a question about the ongoing protests by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), he said a prolonged agitation could affect the electoral process. “If the protests or sit-ins continue for a longer period, they may have an impact on election-related activities. In such a situation, the Election Commission has the authority to make necessary adjustments to the election schedule,” he said.

“Elections will be held when the situation is conducive,” he added.

The latest voter lists show that the electorate in AJK’s 45 constituencies has risen to 3,804,385, up from 3,220,546 in the 2021 elections — an increase of 583,839 voters. Of the total electorate, 3,365,839 voters are registered in the 33 constituencies within AJK, while 438,546 are registered in the 12 constituencies in Pakistan reserved for refugees from occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Figures released by the commission showed that the overall electorate comprises 2,001,730 male voters and 1,802,655 female voters.
Among the territorial constituencies, LA-7 Bhimber-III has the largest electorate with 129,994 voters, followed by LA-31 Muzaffarabad-V with 128,177 voters and LA-12 Kotli-V with 126,332 voters. The smallest constituency is LA-30 Muzaffarabad-IV, with 68,228 voters.

Reporter Safeer Raza