Polling for AJK Legislative Assembly elections concluded

Updated at: 1702 PST,  Sunday, June 26, 2011  MIRPUR: Kashmiris living in Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as the refugees inhibiting different parts of Pakistan Sunday casted their votes to elect new AJK Legislative Assembly amid armed clashes between the contesting parties. Voting took place in 37 out of 41 electoral constituencies including 29 of AJK and 8 out of all 12 meant for Pakistan-based Jammu & Kashmir refugees, officials said. The officials were busy in counting the votes. Armed clashes between the rival groups left two people killed and several injured during the polling. Elections were postponed in three constituencies including LA-30 (Jammu-I) and LA-36 (Kashmir valley-I) due to worsening law and order situation in Karachi and in LA-41 (Kashmir valley-6) following challenging of voters list related to Khyber PakhtunKhawa province in the court of law. Similarly, polling in electoral constituency of LA-37 (Kashmir valley) in Lahore was postponed following violent clash between the workers of PPP and PML (N) at the beginning of polling on Sunday morning. The polling started at 08:00 a.m and continued till 05:00 p.m without any pause in line with the schedule set by AJK Election Commission. A huge turn out of over three million registered voters in 37 out of a total 41 constituencies of AJK legislature was reported. Great enthusiasm was witnessed among the voters, both male and female, in the most sensitive constituencies of the district including LA-4 (Khari Mirpur), LA-2 (Chakswari) and LA-3 Mirpur city. Para-military troops were posted at the sensitive polling stations in all the electoral constituencies to assist the civil administration and police to maintain law and order situation. A thumping majority of a total of 30,39,926 eligible registered voters (both male and female) moved to 4351 polling stations to exercise their right of vote to elect their representatives for AJK Legislative Assembly, the AJK Election Commission sources said. Strict security measures were adopted by local administrations in all the electoral constituencies to deal with any untoward incident effectively. Over 700 polling stations were declared sensitive where extra para-military troops were deployed to assist the local police for dealing with any eventuality.