Kashmiris living in the Rawalpindi division and the federal capital will cast their votes on Sunday for three refugee seats in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Kashmiri refugees will cast their votes in Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Attock, Murree, Hassanabdal, Taxila, Gujar Khan and Islamabad to elect three representatives from LA-39, Jammu-6; LA-43, Valley-4 and LA-44, Valley-5 constituencies.
A total of 34 candidates are contesting in these three constituencies.
The total number of voters in LA-39, Jammu 6, which includes the Rawalpindi Division and some areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, is 36,455, of them, 19,549 are male and 16,906 female voters.
The total number of voters in LA-43, Valley 4 is 2,457, of them, 1322 are male and 1135 female voters.
The total number of voters in LA-44, Valley-5, is 6,340, of them, 3,376 are male and 2964 female voters.
In LA 39, Jammu 6, a total of 13 candidates, in LA-43, Valley 4, eight candidates and in LA-44 Valley 5, 13 candidates are contesting elections.
Read At least one dead as clashes mar AJK elections
Meanwhile, a total of 97 polling stations have been set up across Rawalpindi while 1,500 police officers and constables would be deployed for election duty.
City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Muhammad Ahsan Younas and returning officers on Saturday handed over election material to the officers concerned.
The CPO directed the officers and personnel to effectively implement the election code of conduct
CPO Ahsan Younis said that the election code of conduct would be implemented in letter and spirit and no one would be allowed to display weapons. “All-out efforts would be made to ensure implement the election code of conduct issued by the election commission,” he said.
“All available resources would be utilised to provide a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for voters and senior police officers would monitor all election process in their respective areas,” the police officer said.
Constituencies for Kashmiri refugees, who will elect 12 members for AJKLA on July 25, are scattered across Pakistan.
Since the entire polling staff, including the District Returning Officers (DROs) and ROs for the refugees’ seats, belong to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), it is the ECP’s responsibility to ensure that the electoral exercise is fair, free and transparent.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2021.
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