Preparations are in full swing for the second phase of the elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly, during which polling will also be held for 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan. These refugees migrated to Pakistan following the Partition of British India in 1947 and continue to elect their representatives to the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Election authorities are set to distribute polling materials and election-related equipment to polling staff today. Polling for two refugee constituencies in Lahore will take place on Sunday, with thousands of registered Kashmiri refugee voters expected to cast their ballots.
LA-34 Jammu Constituency
For LA-34 Jammu, a total of 15 polling stations have been established in Lahore. These include one male polling station, one female polling station, and 13 combined polling stations.
The constituency has a total of 5,965 registered voters, comprising 3,175 male and 2,790 female voters. Election authorities have set up 30 polling booths to facilitate voting.
A total of 17 candidates are contesting the seat. Among the prominent candidates, Bilal Mukhtar Butt of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has been allotted the Eagle symbol, Chaudhry Abdul Qadir Chauhan of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will contest on the Arrow symbol, Raja Muhammad Sohail of Jamaat-e-Islami has been assigned the Scales symbol, while Nasir Hussain Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will contest on the Lion symbol.
LA-41 Valley Constituency
Polling for LA-41 Valley will also be held on Sunday. The constituency has 6,410 registered voters in total.
Out of these, 5,708 voters are registered in Lahore, 583 in Sheikhupura, 117 in Nankana Sahib, and two voters in Kasur.
Election authorities have established 19 polling stations for the constituency, including 13 in Lahore, four in Sheikhupura, and one each in Nankana Sahib and Kasur. Notably, a dedicated polling station has been established in Kasur for just two registered voters, ensuring that every eligible voter is able to exercise their constitutional right.
A total of nine candidates are contesting the LA-41 seat. The main contest is expected between PML-N candidate Muhammad Amir Shah and independent candidate Saba Diwan, who is backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). PPP candidate Ghulam Abbas Mir and IPP candidate Saeed Ahmad Dar are also among the contestants.
Polling across both constituencies will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, with election officials making arrangements to ensure a smooth, transparent, and peaceful voting process.
