MUZAFFARABAD: Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal has said that elections in Rawalakot could be held on August 20 or 21 if the ongoing protest sit-in is resolved within the next three to four days.
Speaking to the media in Muzaffarabad, the AJK chief election commissioner said that polling in Bagh and Haveli was scheduled to take place first because of security concerns.
He said security personnel had already reached Bagh and Haveli, while the transportation of election material was continuing under the supervision of the army.
According to Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, eight security personnel will be deployed at highly sensitive polling stations to ensure the safety of voters, polling staff, and election material.
He also said that efforts were being made to restore internet services in Bagh and Haveli on August 9 and 10.
The chief election commissioner said the Election Commission expected to be in a position to announce a polling date for Rawalakot within the next seven days.
However, he made it clear that the timing would depend on the situation surrounding the ongoing sit-in. If the protest was resolved within three or four days, elections in Rawalakot could potentially be held on August 20 or 21.
Ghulam Mustafa Mughal also responded to allegations being made by political leaders regarding the election process. He said that the Election Commission could not respond to political allegations through statements and counter-statements.
He said that whether election rigging had taken place, and who might have been responsible, would become clear once the entire election process was completed and the facts were established.
The chief election commissioner emphasized that the vote-counting process is conducted in the presence of the candidates’ polling agents.
He said the Election Commission would allow the process to proceed according to established procedures and that the relevant facts would be presented after the completion of the elections.
The commission’s decision to hold polling in Bagh and Haveli first was linked to security considerations, while the Rawalakot election schedule remains dependent on developments surrounding the protest.
The Election Commission is also coordinating security arrangements and the movement of election material to ensure that polling can take place in a safe and orderly manner.
The possibility of holding the Rawalakot election on August 20 or 21 therefore depends largely on whether the current sit-in can be resolved within the expected timeframe.
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