The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Friday revised the schedule for the third phase of elections in the region, saying polling would only be held in Poonch Division’s Bagh and Haveli districts on August 10 amid concerns over the law and order situation.

Elections are being held across AJK in three phases amid tensions between protesters and the authorities. Polls in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions were held on July 27 and August 2, respectively.

The third phase in Poonch division was set for August 10. Poonch Division comprises 11 constituencies — three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch and two in Sudhnoti district.

However, the Election Commission said in a press release on Friday that the electoral process will go ahead as planned on August 10 in only the division’s Bagh and Haveli districts.

In its press release, the AJK Election Commission said polling will be held in the three constituencies of Bagh and one of Haveli on August 10 as per the previous schedule.

However, the electoral process in the constituencies of Poonch district and Sudhnoti’s Pallandri will not be held on August 10, it said. The Election Commission said it reviewed the “current situation” regarding the scheduled elections in Poonch.

It noted that according to a report it received from the AJK home secretary, there were “concerns over the law and order situation in some areas of Poonch district and Pallandri district”.

“Moreover, the Election Commission received requests from some political personalities and candidates hailing from these districts, in which it has been requested to postpone the elections in Poonch district and Pallandri district considering the current situation,” the press release read.

The electoral watchdog said it will announce the new polling dates and a revised election schedule for Poonch and Pallandri after reviewing the situation and “considering all relevant matters”.

The commission clarified that the decision to postpone some of the polls was taken “only in the context of the current law and order situation to ensure that elections are held in a free, fair, transparent and peaceful environment”.

The Election Commission’s decision comes in the wake of clashes that took place between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Poonch district’s Rawalakot on July 27, which reportedly resulted in several casualties.

Rawalakot has been gripped by unrest since early June, with the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) staging sit-ins periodically.

The JAAC, which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now.

The government has accused militant elements “pursuing a foreign agenda and backed by Indian funding” of fomenting the unrest.

Earlier this week, AJK Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal noted that the “law and order situation and the demands of the safety of voters play an important role in holding elections”.

Responding to a question, he had said that under the AJK constitution, the current Legislative Assembly ceases to exist after August 4.

“Even if elections cannot be held in two or a few more constituencies, one cannot say that the house is not complete or those who have returned cannot take oath or perform their functions,” he explained.

He said the new assembly would still take oath after the completion of the August 10 polls.

PML-N has already won: Rana Sana

PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah addressed a public gathering in AJK’s Haveli today, where he said his party had already won the required number of seats in AJK and was set to form the government.

He said 23 seats were required for a simple majority in the assembly, while the PML-N had already won 24.

Sanaullah told the rally’s participants that the PML-N would focus on development in AJK, which he said had been witnessed in the past every time the party was in the government in the Centre and AJK at the same time.