Over 1,260 Candidates File Nominations for AJK Legislative Assembly Elections

A total of 1,265 nomination papers were submitted across all 45 constituencies of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly by the close of nominations, representing an increase of more than 30 percent compared to the 2021 general elections, according to election authorities.

The filing deadline, initially set for June 19, was extended to June 23 without a weekend break due to prevailing conditions in the territory.

AJK Election Commission Secretary Raja Shakeel Khan told Dawn that 1,047 nomination papers were filed for the 33 territorial constituencies and 218 for the 12 refugee constituencies located in Pakistan.

In the territorial constituencies, 409 nomination papers were submitted across the 13 seats of Mirpur division, 344 across the nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division, and 294 across the 11 seats of Poonch division.

For the refugee constituencies, 121 papers were filed in the six Jammu seats and 97 in the six allocated for the Kashmir Valley.

The highest number of nominations in a single territorial constituency was 59 in LA-29, Muzaffarabad-III, while the lowest was 12 in LA-12, Kotli-V.

Among the refugee constituencies, LA-36, Jammu-III, received the highest number of nomination papers at 29, whereas LA-42, Valley-III, and LA-45, Valley-VI, each received the lowest number at nine.

Mr Khan said that 957 nomination papers had been submitted in the 2021 general elections — 797 in the 33 territorial constituencies and 160 in the 12 refugee constituencies.

The latest figures show an increase of more than 30 percent in overall submissions, which observers view as an indication of growing interest in the electoral process.

Notably, Poonch division, the epicentre of ongoing protests, recorded 12 more nomination papers than in the 2021 elections.

Khan said the final list of candidates would be issued after completion of the withdrawal process, which concludes at 2pm on July 3.

EC senior member sworn in

Former secretary Khawaja Muhammad Ahsan was sworn in as the senior member of the AJK Election Commission on Wednesday, a day after his appointment by the government to the long-vacant constitutional office for a five-year term.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal administered the oath to Mr Ahsan, who served as secretary to the AJK government in BPS-21 before retiring in February 2022.

Official sources said Ahsan’s appointment was made by the government on the recommendation of the CEC.

In June 2018, the then PML-N government expanded the Election Commission through the 13th Amendment by adding two members, one of whom was designated as senior member.

Unlike the CEC — who is appointed by the AJK president on the advice of the chairman of the AJK Council, the prime minister of Pakistan, from among nominees proposed by the AJK prime minister in consultation with the leader of the opposition — the appointment of Election Commission members falls within the sole prerogative of the AJK prime minister and is formalised by the president on his advice.

In January last year, the then prime minister, Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, appointed retired secretary Syed Nazeerul Hassan Gillani as a member of the Election Commission.

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