The second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) General Elections 2026 began on Sunday, with polling underway across Muzaffarabad Division and all 12 refugee constituencies located in different parts of Pakistan. Thousands of voters are casting their ballots to elect representatives to the AJK Legislative Assembly.
Polling started at 8:00 a.m. and will continue uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m. Election officials opened polling stations early, while security personnel were deployed at sensitive locations to ensure a peaceful and transparent voting process.
This phase covers nine constituencies in Muzaffarabad Division, including five constituencies in Muzaffarabad district, two in Neelum, and two in Jhelum Valley. Simultaneously, polling is being conducted for 12 refugee constituencies representing refugees from the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region residing across Pakistan.
More than 340 candidates are contesting in this phase. According to election officials, 207 candidates are competing for the nine Muzaffarabad Division seats, while 137 candidates are contesting the 12 refugee constituencies.
Over 809,000 registered voters are eligible to vote in Muzaffarabad Division, while the refugee constituencies have more than 438,000 registered voters. Thousands of polling staff have been deployed to manage the electoral process efficiently.
The Election Commission has established 1,483 polling stations across Muzaffarabad Division, including:
- 533 Highly Sensitive
- 741 Sensitive
- 209 Normal
Additionally, 1,057 polling stations have been set up across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Islamabad for refugee voters.
In Rawalpindi and Islamabad, around 27,000 registered voters are participating in polling for three refugee seats, with 175 polling stations established and enhanced security measures in place.
In Gujrat, Wazirabad, and Mandi Bahauddin, nearly 2,000 police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order as over 50,000 registered voters cast their ballots.
Polling is also taking place in Karachi and several districts of Sindh for two refugee constituencies, while refugee voters in Quetta, Pishin, Qila Saifullah, Hub, Loralai, Sibi, Mastung, Zhob, Barkhan, Swat, and Mansehra are also participating in the election.
The second phase of the elections comes amid heightened political tensions between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Both parties have exchanged allegations of electoral irregularities following the first phase of polling.
The PPP has demanded legal action and re-polling in selected constituencies, while the PML-N has rejected the allegations, maintaining that the election results reflect the will of the people.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met PML-N President Nawaz Sharif to review the political situation and discuss developments related to the AJK elections, alongside other senior party leaders.
