Poll schedule: AJK elections under army, Rangers supervision on July 21

CEC Justice Ghulam Mughal issues code of conduct for candidates.

MUZAFFARABAD: General elections for the 49-seat legislative assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be held on July 21 under the supervision of Pakistan Army and Rangers.

This was announced by Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), at a press conference in Muzaffarabad on Monday. Code of conduct for the elections was also announced.

According to the election schedule, candidates can file their nomination papers from June 6 to 16. A list of candidates will be displayed on June 18.

Appeals against the nomination papers can be filed from June 21 to 22 while these appeals will be heard from June 22 to June 24. The CEC will decide on appeals on June 25, 26.

Candidates can withdraw their nomination papers till June 27. The election commission will issue a final list of 12 Kashmiri refugee seats candidates on June 28. On the following day, election symbols to candidates and independents will be allotted.

Polling day will be Thursday July 21. Around 2.237 million voters in 10 districts of the valley will exercise their right to franchise from 8 am to 5 pm.

“Within three months, voter lists were completed with the help of revenue and education departments,” said the CEC. Replying to a question, he said new voter lists have been prepared in cooperation with NADRA and bogus votes have been removed.

Code of Conduct

Apart from announcing the schedule for elections, the CEC also issued the code of conduct according to which no one can announce any scheme or issue appointment orders in the valley.

Federal or AJK ministers, party leaders and candidates cannot use government vehicles in their election campaigns.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2016.