MIRPUR: Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, chief election commissioner (CEC) of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), announced on Monday that general elections would be held in the state on July 21.
Justice Mughal announced the schedule for the general elections in 49 constituencies of the state at a news conference in Muzaffarabad. He said the constitutional tenure of the incumbent Legislative Assembly would expire on July 24 this year. He said it was mandatory under the constitution to hold elections 60 days before the last date.
The chief election commissioner said that candidates could file nomination papers by June 16. The appeals will be heard on June 25 and 26. He said that candidates could withdraw their nomination papers on June 27 and final lists of candidates would be displayed on June 28. Election symbols would be allotted on June 29.
He said that there were 2,237,058 voters – 1,211,842 men and 1,025,216 women — in 10 districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. For the 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan, 4,44,634 voters will exercise their right to franchise.
Replying to a question, Justice Mughal said that new voter lists had been prepared in collaboration with the NADRA for 2016 elections and bogus voters had been removed from the lists. He announced a complete ban on promotion and transfer of government employees and announcement or inauguration of new development schemes. He said that elections would be held under the supervision of the army and the Rangers and a code of conduct for political parties and candidates had been issued.
