AJK election third phase underway in Bagh, Haveli amid tight security

Polling opened Monday in four constituencies of Bagh and Haveli districts in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, marking the third phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir's legislative elections. Voting runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. under heightened security, with authorities citing law-and-order concerns after protests disrupted earlier phases of the vote in Poonch Division.

Where is polling being held in AJK's third phase election?

Voting is taking place only in Bagh and Haveli districts, part of Poonch Division, after the Election Commission scaled back the third phase from all 11 constituencies over security concerns. Roughly 460,000 registered voters can cast ballots at 803 polling stations across four seats, with 82 candidates competing.

Election Commission Secretary Raja Mohammad Shakeel said 10,300 additional troops had been deployed alongside regular police in the two districts. He said the deployment was meant to maintain order and provide a "fear-free atmosphere" for voters.

How many voters and candidates are in the fray?

A total of 460,371 voters are registered for the third phase, including 238,664 men and 221,707 women. They can vote at 803 polling stations comprising 1,254 polling booths, with 82 candidates contesting the four seats.

What happened in the earlier phases of AJK's elections?

The AJK election is being held in phases amid ongoing tensions between protesters and authorities. Polling in the Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions was held on July 27 and Aug. 2, respectively, with the PML-N winning 24 seats and the PPP taking 10 so far.

The third phase was originally meant to cover all 11 constituencies of Poonch Division: three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district. The AJK Election Commission announced last week that voting would proceed only in Bagh and Haveli because of law-and-order concerns, with the remaining seven constituencies expected to vote on Aug. 20 or 21.

Who are the key contenders in Haveli's LA-17 seat?

AJK Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore is contesting LA-17 in Haveli against PML-N candidate Engr. Mohsin Aziz and independent candidate Khawaja Tariq Saeed, a member of the AJK Council. Rathore and Saeed were once political allies who had agreed to alternate contesting the seat, but their alliance broke down after Rathore became prime minister and asked Saeed to step aside.

Aziz, whose father Chaudhry Mohammad Aziz won the seat at least three times, draws support from the sizeable Gujjar community. Saeed is believed to have backing from a section of the Kashmiri community and an alliance of smaller clans, while Rathore has expressed confidence in retaining the seat based on his government's performance.

Social media posts have alleged electoral irregularities in the constituency, including claims that two presiding officers manipulated results in Rathore's favor. Shakeel dismissed the allegations but confirmed complaints had been filed against the two officials, who were removed from election duty.

Why is Sardar Tanveer Ilyas contesting LA-15 in Wasti Bagh?

Former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas is running in LA-15 in Wasti Bagh against PML-N candidate Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, PPP nominee Sardar Ziaul Qamar and Jamaat-i-Islami candidate retired Brig. Dr. Mohammad Khan. Ilyas, who won just over 3,300 votes in Upper Neelum during the second phase, had initially announced a boycott of the third phase before reversing course and resuming his campaign.

Ilyas has said a victory in the seat would let the constituency "secure either the presidency or prime ministership." He and Qamar belong to the same Madiyal tribe, while Khan belongs to the Narma clan and has backing from former Jamaat-i-Islami chief Abdul Rashid Turabi.

Minhas is running on a PML-N ticket, the party poised to form the next government after emerging as the largest so far. His campaign has urged voters to back a candidate from the likely ruling party rather than send a representative to the opposition.

What about the LA-16 and LA-14 contests?

In LA-16, Sharqi Bagh, former ministers Sardar Mir Akbar and Sardar Qamar Zaman are the main contenders for the PML-N and PPP, respectively.

The LA-14 seat in Dhirkot has drawn attention because of the challenge facing Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, head of the once-dominant Muslim Conference. Attique, who has held the seat since 2006 when he first became prime minister, faces Sajid Iqbal Abbasi of the newer Awam Dast-o-Bazu Party. Abbasi, a contractor and philanthropist, is said to have spent heavily from his own funds on public welfare projects in the constituency, building a sizeable personal following; he and Attique belong to the same tribe.

Dhirkot has the highest number of candidates among the four constituencies at 30, including PML-N nominee Raja Faisal Azad and PPP candidate Raja Mubashar Ejaz. The main contest, however, is seen as being between Attique and Abbasi.