MIRPUR: Voters across Mirpur Division turned out in large numbers on Monday for the first phase of the 2026 Azad Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, opting to cast ballots instead of responding to calls for protests.
Polling began at 8:00 am and continued peacefully across the division under tight security.
Residents started arriving at polling stations soon after voting opened. Men and women queued to cast their ballots, reflecting broad participation in the electoral process.
The voter turnout came despite repeated calls by the Public Action Committee to stage protests. Local observers said the group’s latest appeal for demonstrations on July 27 failed to disrupt polling, with voters instead choosing to participate in the elections.
Many residents said they preferred to exercise their constitutional and democratic right to vote rather than pursue agitation. They viewed the ballot box as the appropriate means to decide political issues.
Election authorities said more than 1.4 million registered voters were eligible to vote across 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division. A total of 288 candidates are contesting the seats.
Authorities established 2,316 polling stations, including 1,241 classified as highly sensitive. More than 18,500 security personnel, backed by Pakistan Army troops, were deployed under a three-tier security plan to ensure peaceful polling.
Several constituencies are witnessing closely contested races involving candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and other political parties.
Officials said polling was continuing peacefully and that comprehensive security arrangements remained in place to ensure a transparent and orderly electoral process.
