Muzaffarabad, August 7, 2026: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday revised the schedule for the third phase of the Legislative Assembly elections, postponing polling in parts of Poonch Division due to security concerns while confirming that voting will proceed as planned in Bagh and Haveli districts on August 10.
According to a notification issued by the Election Commission, polling will be held in Bagh’s three constituencies and Haveli’s lone constituency on the previously announced date. However, elections in the five constituencies of Poonch district and the Pallandri constituency of Sudhnoti district have been postponed.
The Commission said the decision was taken after reviewing the prevailing law and order situation in the affected areas. It cited a report submitted by the AJK Home Secretary highlighting security concerns, as well as requests from political leaders and election candidates seeking postponement of polling in Poonch and Pallandri.
The Election Commission emphasized that the postponement was solely aimed at ensuring that elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful environment. It added that revised polling dates and an updated election schedule for the postponed constituencies would be announced after reviewing the security situation.
The third phase of the elections was originally scheduled to cover all 11 constituencies of Poonch Division, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti.
The latest decision follows violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot on July 27, which reportedly resulted in several casualties. Rawalakot has witnessed repeated protests since June led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding the abolition of 12 reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly allocated to refugees from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The AJK government has alleged that militant elements backed by Indian funding are attempting to exploit the unrest and destabilize the region.
Earlier this week, Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal had stated that maintaining law and order and ensuring voter safety remained the Election Commission’s foremost priority. He also clarified that under the AJK Constitution, the outgoing Legislative Assembly ceased to exist after August 4 and that the formation and oath-taking of the new assembly would not be affected even if elections in a few constituencies were delayed.
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, while addressing a public gathering in Haveli, claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had already secured enough seats to form the next government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the party had won 24 seats, surpassing the 23-seat simple majority required in the Legislative Assembly, and pledged that a PML-N government would prioritize development projects across the region in coordination with the federal government.
