Pakistan

AJK elections: 427 in the run for 41 seats

128 contestants are running for the 12 constituencies spread over four provinces of Pakistan.

Roshan Mughal June 13, 2011

MUZAFFARABAD:

The election commission of Azad kashmir has issued the final list of contestants belonging to 25 political parties as well as independent candidates for the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for June 26.

Election Commission Secretary Younus Qureshi told The Express Tribune that 772 candidates had filed nominations for 41 constituencies in the state, and 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan. Of them nomination papers of 427 have been found in order and declared illegible for taking part in the election; 299 have been firmed up for the 29 constituencies. The highest number of candidates in the run is from Bhimber District constituency number 3, where 20 candidates have filed their nominations, while the lowest nominations are in constituency number 5 in Muzaffarabad District.

He said 128 contestants are running for the 12 constituencies spread over four provinces of Pakistan, while 77 nominees have decided to contest from the 12 constituencies reserved for refugees.

He further said all nominations have been declared valid. However, 295 candidates out of 594 withdrew their papers from 29 constituencies, while 50 candidates out of 178 withdrew from the 12 constituencies of refugees. He also said 27 candidates have filed their papers from Jammu-VI constituency, while 11 are contesting from Vally-I and Valley-V.

According to official sources, a list of 53 candidates who are running for four constituencies from Mirpur District are: Ibrar Hussain Shah, Raja Ijaz Dilawar, Anwar Latif Dar, Syed Amer Hussain Bukhari, Bilal Ali, Tahir Qayyum, Abdul Ghaffar Akhtar, Raja Ali Zaman, Ghulam Rabani, Faisal Ahmed Mushtaq, Luqman Anjum Sultan, Majid Hussain, Muhammad Afser Shahid, Masood Khalid, Muhammad Shafiq Ratvi, Muhammad Waqar Aslam Kiyani, Nadeem Khan Kiyani and Nouman Kamal Khan from LA-I constituency.

Similarly, 10 candidates are contesting from LA-II. They are AJK-PPP President Abdul Majeed, Idrees Shan, Iftikhar Hussain, Khalid Mehmood, Zulfiqar Ali, Sarfraz Khan, Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Ilyas, Mehmood Hussain and Wasim Mehmood Khan.

The 12 candidates contesting from LA-III are City Mayor Muhammad Ashraf, former PM Sultan Mahmood, former minister Arshad Mehmood Ghazi, Ashfaqur Rehman, Iftikhar Ahmed Khokher, Malik Shahid Majeed Khan, Abdul Sitaar, Abdul Qayyum Qamar, Mirza Latif, Raja Manzoor Hussain, Nasir Saeed and Yasir Sultan.

The 13 candidates contesting from LA-IV are: Chaudhry Arshad Hussain, Raja Navid Akhter Goga, Mirza Shabbir Kanwal Jiraal, Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Muddassar, Asif Mahmood, Junaid Akhter, Shiraz Akram, Irfan Hameed, Aveena Rukhsar, Fatima Bibi, Muhammad Rafiq and Chaudhry Nabeelur Rehman. With additional input from APP

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (6)

Tanveer Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply @social_eye: Well, the constitution (Act 74) limits one's conscience and it leaves little that the elected assembly member can do to represent his/her people as most subjects of governance are with the Kashmir Council in Islamabad. The mentality of the masses is of course an important factor. As any narrative away from the 'Accession to Pakistan' viewpoint has been brutally suppressed since 1947, there has been no medium or forum for creative, alternative views to emerge in Azad Kashmir. Considering it's one of the 5 parts of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir that qualifies for self-determination (to ascertain it's future) the tactics employed by Pakistan to keep this region faithful to it's national interest (an interest protected by Pakistan's army, it's agencies and backed up by it's bureaucracy and governing structure. Even Pakistan's media to date has done little to deal with these essential contradictions) In direct answer to your question, the Kashmiri people need OBM's (ownership building measures) that enable them to create genuinely independent institutions that reflect the needs of their public. The reforms needed would be constitutional, administrative and economic culminating in a clear contract between the citizen and State. Contrary to what you suggest, It's unthinkable imagining an honest person emerging in the AJK Legislative Assembly willing to abide by a colonial structure where he/she has no power over budget, taxation or other matters of legislation.

social_eye | 13 years ago | Reply @Tanvir Ahmad: Constitutionally there is no hinderance for the honest person to come up I do agree that there are social restrictions that does not require constitutional reforms but it depends on the mentality of the people, the masses. But you opinioin looks different. Can you please name some reforms, which are must in your opinion, for providing circumstance leading to the election of a honest person to the legislative assembly.

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Ahmad Ali | 13 years ago | Reply This is a very good opportunity for the people of Kashmir to elect such a good candidates for the assembly who are honest and well wisher of the people of the area. And thus to uplift the kashmir in all fields. Good Luck

Tanveer Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply @social_eye: The Legislative Assembly Elections in AJK are designed to ensure such a person does not emerge. We need a lot of reforms that must be based on freedom of conscience. Pakistan can't deliver that to us, we have to devise a mechanism ourselves.

Muhammad Pervaiz | 13 years ago | Reply sir where is the chief election commision office in islamabad

social_eye | 13 years ago | Reply It is an opportunity for the poeple of Azad Jammu Kashmir to elect someone who could take their voice to the world. Someone who is not sellable commodity, someone who is above politics of baradarism and someone who could provide a wall against corruption must be given vote. I know there are very few such candidates. This time we must elect someone who does not seek direction from Islamabad but someone who could question Pakistan Govt. that where is there stance over Kashmir. A person should be supported that could ask Pakistan are they going to do with us the same thing which they have done with the people of Afghanistan. The prospect is little but lets hope someone may come up which could demand just rights from both sides of neighbours!

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