AJK president asks PM Shehbaz to provide security forces for LG polls

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking the deployment of security personnel to conduct local bodies elections in a "free and transparent manner”.

The local government elections are scheduled to be held after the gap of 31 years in AJK.

President Sultan in the letter mentioned that AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas had already written a letter to Interior Minister Rana Sunaullah on November 11 for providing the security forces for holding smooth and transparent local bodies elections but the ministry has not yet confirmed.

The letter further reads that if security forces were not provided and elections were postponed then it would have serious consequences and international media may exploit it and ultimately the postponement of local bodies' polls will damage the Kashmir cause at the international level.

Also read: ECP set to hold LG election

In the letter, President Sultan requested PM Shehbaz for sending forces for holding the peaceful and transparent local government elections in AJK on November 27 without any further delay.

AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Abdul Rashid Sulehria said earlier this month that all arrangements had been completed to ensure impartial local bodies polls in the region.

Sulehria expressed his hope that the electoral exercise at the grass-root level would positively change the social, political and economic structure of AJK, adding, all political parties should come together to formulate long-term policies in the public interest.

The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) issued the schedule of local bodies elections, he said, adding, the total number of registered voters is 2,950,000. Replying to a question, he said more than 11,000 candidates including females are participating in LG polls in AJK.