Polling began Monday in the third phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s 2026 legislative assembly elections, covering four constituencies in Poonch division’s Bagh and Haveli districts.
Voting in the four constituencies will continue until 5pm. Following a change in schedule, polling in five constituencies of Poonch district and two of Sudhnoti has been postponed.
A total of 82 candidates are contesting the four seats in Poonch division. Among those in the running are the heads of two major political parties, Muslim Conference and IPP, along with former prime ministers Sardar Attique and Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, and sitting AJK Prime Minister Faisal Rathore. In LA-17 Haveli, Prime Minister Faisal Rathore will face off against Mohsin Aziz.
According to the Chief Election Commissioner, around 460,000 voters are eligible to cast their ballots across the four constituencies, with security arrangements finalised at all polling stations.
In the first phase of the AJK elections, PML-N won 9 of Mirpur division’s 13 seats, while the PPP secured 4. In the second phase, voting was held for Muzaffarabad division’s 9 seats and 12 refugee seats, with PML-N winning 15 seats and the PPP securing 6.
Of the 45 seats contested so far, PML-N leads with 24 seats, followed by the PPP in second place with 10.
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