More Than 1.4 Million Voters to Decide 13 Seats
Polling for the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections will begin in Mirpur Division on Monday, July 27, 2026.
More than 1.4 million registered voters are eligible to participate.
Voting will take place across 13 constituencies in Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli districts.
Four constituencies are located in Mirpur district.
Bhimber district has three constituencies, while Kotli will vote for six assembly seats.
Kotli has the largest number of registered voters in the division.
Around 647,000 people are eligible to vote for its six seats.
Bhimber has approximately 342,000 registered voters.
Mirpur district has around 411,000 voters across four constituencies.
Election authorities have established 2,554 polling stations across the division.
A total of 3,701 polling booths will be available for male and female voters.
Election material, including ballot papers and official documents, is being delivered to polling stations under constituency-based schedules.
District returning officers in Mirpur, Bhimber and Kotli are supervising the distribution process.
A public holiday has been declared across Mirpur Division for polling day.
The measure is intended to help voters reach polling stations and support the smooth conduct of the election.
PPP and PML-N Face Closely Contested Race
The Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are expected to face a close contest across several constituencies.
Both parties have conducted major campaigns and brought senior national leaders to the region.
Their candidates are competing for control of a division considered politically important in the wider AJK election.
Other political groups and independent candidates are also contesting.
The Istehkam Pakistan Party is expected to challenge the two major parties in selected constituencies.
Nearly 300 candidates are competing across the three districts.
Kotli has 135 candidates contesting six assembly seats.
Bhimber has 63 candidates in the race for three constituencies.
Mirpur has 98 candidates competing for four seats.
The large number of candidates could divide votes in several constituencies.
Local alliances, family influence and constituency-level rivalries may also affect the results.
A small difference in turnout could decide closely fought seats.
The Mirpur Division vote is the first stage of a three-phase election schedule.
Muzaffarabad Division and 12 constituencies representing Kashmiri refugees will vote on August 2.
Poonch Division will complete the election process on August 10.
The phased schedule was introduced because of security and administrative concerns.
AJK Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said the elections would be conducted under the supervision of the armed forces.
Extensive Security Plan Activated for Polling Day
Authorities have completed a comprehensive security plan for Mirpur Division.
Police, district administrations and other security agencies will coordinate operations across all three districts.
Additional personnel have been assigned to sensitive polling locations.
Security teams will protect polling staff, voters, ballot papers and election material.
Control rooms have been activated to monitor polling and respond to emergencies.
Government departments have appointed focal persons for immediate coordination.
Officials have also reviewed transportation, medical services and electricity supply arrangements.
The Electricity Department has been directed to maintain uninterrupted power during polling.
Health authorities will keep emergency teams and medical units on standby.
The Education Department will provide administrative support because many polling stations are located inside educational institutions.
Election officials have instructed political parties and candidates to follow the campaign restrictions.
Public rallies, political gatherings and other campaign activities have ended before polling day.
Authorities have warned that violations could result in legal or electoral action.
Officials say the objective is to ensure peaceful, transparent and uninterrupted voting.
Voters have also been encouraged to participate without fear and avoid activity that could disturb the election process.
The result in Mirpur Division will provide the first major indication of political support ahead of the remaining phases.
A strong performance could give either the PPP or PML-N important momentum before voting begins in Muzaffarabad and Poonch.
