Muzaffarabad: Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Polling began Monday for eight reserved seats of the AJK Legislative Assembly, with voting underway at the Assembly building in Muzaffarabad as the region moves toward completing the composition of its legislature.
Voting started at 10am and is scheduled to continue until 2pm. The AJK Election Commission secretary is serving as the presiding officer. The eight reserved seats comprise five for women, one for a technocrat, one for Ulema and Mashaikh, and one for an overseas Kashmiri representative.
What Happens After Voting for Reserved Seats?
After the reserved-seat election is completed, the newly elected members are expected to take oath. The Assembly will then proceed with the election and oath-taking of the speaker and deputy speaker.
The government formation process is taking place with seven general seats still vacant, as elections in seven constituencies across Poonch and Sudhnoti districts have yet to be held.
Which Parties Won the AJK General Elections?
The reserved-seat polling follows the recently completed three-phase general elections. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz emerged as the largest party with 25 seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party secured 11.
The PML-N won nine of 13 seats in the first phase and 15 seats in the second phase, while the PPP secured four and six seats respectively. The third phase added one seat each to the two parties.
The PPP has alleged irregularities in the election process, while the PML-N rejected the allegations. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has called on political stakeholders to avoid turning political differences into hostility and urged constructive political engagement.