Third-Phase Voting Begins Across Four Constituencies
Polling is underway in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts in the third phase of the 2026 Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections.
Voting began at 8am on Monday, August 10, and will continue without interruption until 5pm.
The four constituencies going to the polls are LA-14, LA-15, LA-16 and LA-17. Three are located in Bagh district, while one covers Haveli.
A total of 460,371 registered voters are eligible to cast ballots.
This includes 238,664 male voters and 221,707 female voters.
Election authorities have established 803 polling stations containing 1,254 polling booths across the four constituencies.
Security has been significantly strengthened around polling locations.
Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel said an additional 10,300 personnel had been deployed alongside regular police forces to maintain law and order.
Most polling stations have been classified as sensitive or highly sensitive because of security concerns surrounding the electoral process.
82 Candidates Compete as Major Political Figures Face Critical Test
A total of 82 candidates are competing for the four assembly seats.
LA-14 in Dhirkot has the largest field, with 30 candidates, while LA-17 in Haveli has nine contestants.
Several prominent political figures are facing important electoral tests.
AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan Peoples Party is contesting LA-17 in Haveli.
He faces PML-N candidate Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, among others.
LA-15 is also attracting significant attention.
Former AJK prime minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is competing against PML-N candidate and former minister Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, PPP candidate Sardar Ziaul Qamar and Jamaat-e-Islami candidate retired Brigadier Dr Mohammad Khan.
In LA-16, former ministers Sardar Mir Akbar of the PML-N and Sardar Qamar Zaman of the PPP are among the main contenders.
Meanwhile, LA-14 features former AJK prime minister and Muslim Conference leader Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan.
He faces a strong challenge from Sajid Iqbal Abbasi, while PML-N candidate Raja Faisal Azad and PPP nominee Raja Mubashar Ejaz are also in the race.
The PML-N enters the third phase in a commanding position.
The party has already won 24 of the 34 seats decided during the first two phases, while the PPP has secured 10 seats.
Twenty-three seats are required for a simple majority, meaning the PML-N has already crossed that threshold based on results declared so far.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s political adviser Rana Sanaullah has predicted that the party could eventually secure a two-thirds majority and form the next AJK government.
Poonch and Sudhnoti Voting Postponed Over Security Concerns
The third phase was originally scheduled to cover all 11 constituencies of the Poonch Division on August 10.
However, the AJK Election Commission revised the schedule because of concerns about law and order.
Voting is proceeding only in three Bagh constituencies and one Haveli constituency.
Polling in five constituencies of Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti has been postponed.
The Election Commission said the decision followed security assessments and requests from political figures and candidates in the affected areas.
Officials said the postponement was intended to ensure that voting could take place in a peaceful, transparent and secure environment.
A new date for the seven postponed constituencies will be announced after authorities review the security situation.
The chief election commissioner has indicated that polling in those areas could potentially take place around August 20 or 21, although a final schedule has not yet been announced.
The decision follows weeks of political tension and protests in parts of AJK.
The election campaign has also been accompanied by competing allegations of rigging and electoral misconduct.
The PPP has accused the PML-N of irregularities during earlier phases and has also filed complaints concerning polling in Bagh and Haveli.
The Election Commission and rival political parties have disputed several of those allegations, and the claims remain subject to official review.
The first phase of the elections was held in the Mirpur Division on July 27.
The second phase followed in the Muzaffarabad Division on August 2.
Monday’s voting therefore represents another major step towards completing the 2026 AJK electoral process, although seven constituencies remain pending because of security concerns.
Once the remaining elections are completed, newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in and the assembly will move towards selecting the next AJK prime minister.
