Pakistan: Azad Kashmir constituencies: Polls will be conducted on July 20, court told | The Express Tribune

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission (EC) on Saturday assured the high court that elections for the two legislative assembly constituencies reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Karachi would be held on July 20.

The EC counsel presented a notification for the election schedule before the court for polling in LA-30 of Jammu and others-1 and LA-36 Kashmir valley-1 in Karachi.

Pakistan: Azad Jammu and Kashmir polls: Tribunal formed to address complaints | The Express Tribune

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission formed a tribunal to address what it expects will be many complaints by candidates relating to the June 26 Legislative Assembly polls, even as it denied charges of rigging in the polls.

A spokesperson for the election commission said that the tribunal would be a faster mechanism for dealing with petitions likely to be filed by many of the losing candidates. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has already begun filing cases alleging rigging in the AJK elections and the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is reportedly considering a similar move.

However, even as it formed the tribunal, the Election Commission spokesperson denied that they had been involved in any vote rigging.“No incident of casting fake votes or any unlawful use of influence upon the polling staff was reported in any of the constituencies,” the spokesman said.

Pakistan: Elections deferred in three Azad Jammu and Kashmir constituencies | PakTribune

Muzaffarabad High Court (MHC) has postponed elections on three constitutional assembly seats in LA-30, 36 and 41 constituencies of Azad Kashmir, our sources reported.

According to sources, citizens of LA-41 constituency appealed in the MHC that their names have been removed from the voters’ list. They demanded that their names should be added back in the list. As a consequence, MHC has deferred voting in the constituency that was to take place on Sunday. Elections in LA-30 Karachi Jammu 1 and LA-36 Karachi Kashmir Valley 1 have also been called off.

Pakistan: MQM boycotts Azad Jammu & Kashmir elections | The Express Tribune

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has boycotted the Azad Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly elections. The boycott comes after the Azad Kashmir Election Commission had announced the postponement of elections for three constituencies, including two in Karachi, citing security reasons and a High Court order to include names of voters who had been removed from the list.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar alleged that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had been pressuring the MQM to give up a Kashmir seat from one Karachi constituency. He said the government had set up polling stations in sensitive area of Karachi where MQM workers and voters could not go and vote freely.

Pakistan: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission finalizes election arrangements | AP Pakistan

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission (EC) Sunday declared that all arrangements had been completed to hold the scheduled June 26, elections in AJK in free, fair and transparent manner. A spokesman of the AJK EC said in a statement that since short time was left in the elections, some of the complaints about the voters lists and polling schemes, reached to the election commission, could not be redressed as the voter lists and polling schemes were prepared by the Revenue department staff.

The spokesman continued in the statement that it was the decision of the government to engage field staff including the Patwaris of the Revenue department, instead of the staff of the Education department, for the preparation of the voters lists. The spokesman said a lot of mistakes/errors emerged after the fresh/updated voters lists were printed.

Pakistan: Candidate challenges election commission’s jurisdiction in AJK – The Express Tribune

The jurisdiction of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has been challenged in the Supreme Court, ten days ahead of the general election.

The election commission is preparing electoral lists for twelve non-territorial seats of the AJK’s legislative assembly in clear violation of Articles of 218 and 219, stated the petition. Candidates from across Pakistan may contest these seats.

Javed Akhtar, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate for the upcoming general election in AJK filed the petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution. His counsels, Naseer Bhutta and MM Rafique Rajawana contended that the ECP does not have the mandate to conduct elections in AJK under Articles 218 and 219 of the Constitution.