ISLAMABAD: Polling began on Monday in the first phase of the 2026 Azad Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, with more than 1.4 million registered voters casting their ballots across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division under tight security.
Voting started at 8:00 a.m. and will continue until 5:00 p.m. Authorities have deployed thousands of police personnel, law enforcement officials and Pakistan Army troops to ensure a peaceful, transparent and orderly electoral process.
Enhanced security arrangements have been implemented at sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations across the division.
More Than 1.4 Million Eligible Voters
According to election authorities, 1,400,437 registered voters are eligible to vote in the first phase, including 724,811 men and 675,626 women.
A total of 2,316 polling stations have been established in Mirpur Division. Of these, 1,241 have been classified as highly sensitive, 724 as sensitive, and 351 as normal, with security deployed based on the risk level of each polling station.
A total of 288 candidates are contesting the 13 Legislative Assembly seats.
The highest number of candidates is contesting LA-3 Mirpur City, where 34 candidates are in the race. LA-10 Kotli has 29 candidates, LA-7 Bhimber has 28, LA-13 Khoi Ratta has 27, while LA-2 Chakswari and LA-11 Sehnsa each have 24 candidates.
Other constituencies include LA-8 Raj Mahal (21 candidates), LA-1 Dadyal (20), LA-4 Khari Sharif (19), LA-5 Barnala (18), LA-6 Samahni (17), LA-12 Charhoi (15) and LA-9 Fatehpur Thakiala (12).
Key Contests Across Mirpur Division
Several constituencies are expected to witness closely fought contests among candidates representing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and other political groups.
In LA-1 Dadyal, Azhar Sadiq, who won the 2021 election on a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket, is now contesting as the PML-N candidate against PPP’s Chaudhry Afser Shahid.
In LA-2 Chakswari, PPP’s Chaudhry Qasim Majeed, who secured victory in 2021 with 10,377 votes, faces PML-N candidate Azeem Bakhsh Chaudhry.
One of the most closely watched contests is in LA-3 Mirpur City, where PPP’s Chaudhry Yasir Sultan, son of the late Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, is contesting against PML-N’s Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed. Barrister Sultan Mahmood won the constituency in 2021 on a PTI ticket with 18,703 votes.
In LA-4 Khari Sharif, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Rukhsar faces PPP’s Sohaib Arshad. The seat was won in 2021 by Sohaib Arshad’s father, Chaudhry Mohammad Arshad, who contested on a PTI ticket.
In LA-5 Bhimber, PML-N’s retired Colonel Waqar Noor is up against PPP’s Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf, while LA-6 Samahni is expected to see a close contest between IPP candidate Ali Shan Soni and PML-N’s Muhammad Razzaq Chaudhry.
Former Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq is contesting LA-7 Bhimber against senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Tariq Farooq.
In Kotli district, competitive races are also underway in LA-8 Raj Mahal, LA-9 Fatehpur Thakiala, LA-10 Kotli, LA-11 Sehnsa, LA-12 Charhoi, and LA-13 Khoi Ratta, where candidates from PML-N, PPP and IPP are vying for victory.
Three-Tier Security System in Place
Authorities have divided Mirpur Division into 13 zones and 205 sectors to oversee polling and maintain law and order.
A total of 18,560 security personnel have been deployed, including 5,536 in Mirpur district, 4,504 in Bhimber, and 8,520 in Kotli.
According to the Chief Election Commissioner, a three-tier security plan has been implemented. The first layer consists of the Azad Kashmir Police, the second includes Pakistan Rangers (Punjab), Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) and the Federal Constabulary, while 2,100 Pakistan Army personnel form the third layer of security.
Election officials said comprehensive security arrangements have been made at all polling stations and other sensitive locations to provide voters with a safe environment and ensure the elections are conducted peacefully, fairly and transparently.
