{
  "id": 437796,
  "title": "3rd phase of AJK polls: Voting underway in Poonch Division's Bagh and Haveli districts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/3rd-phase-of-ajk-polls-voting-underway-in-poonch-divisions-bagh-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-10T04:26:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2021864/3rd-phase-of-ajk-polls-voting-underway-in-poonch-divisions-bagh-and-haveli-districts"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The third phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is underway in Bagh and Haveli districts of Poonch Division. Voting commenced at 8am and is scheduled to conclude at 5pm. Officials have warned of potential unrest in certain regions, while the Election Commission has designated most of the 803 polling stations in the four constituencies as sensitive or highly sensitive. Raja Mohammad Shakeel, Secretary of the Election Commission, stated that 10,300 additional troops have been deployed to ensure a secure voting environment. Polling has already taken place in Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions, with the Pakistan Muslim League (N) securing 24 seats. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has only managed to win 10 seats thus far.\n\nInitially, the third phase was intended to cover all 11 constituencies in Poonch Division, but the Election Commission subsequently decided to hold polls only in Bagh and Haveli due to security concerns. The election commissioner has hinted that the remaining seven constituencies could see voting between August 20 and 21.\n\nFaisal Mumtaz Rathore, the current Prime Minister of AJK, along with two of his predecessors—Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan—face a critical electoral test. The election features 238,664 eligible male and 221,707 eligible female voters, spread across 803 polling stations with 1,254 polling booths.\n\nThe candidates contesting the elections have included former Prime Minister Rathore, his predecessors Sardar Ilyas and Sardar Khan, and 82 other candidates. Notably, Rathore and Sardar Khan, who were once allies, are now bitter rivals due to political disputes. Rathore's recent victory in LA-17 has been bolstered by support from the Gujjar community, while Sardar Khan is believed to draw backing from the Kashmiri community and smaller clans.\n\nIn LA-15 (Wasti Bagh), the constituency is witnessing a close contest between PML-N candidate Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas and PPP nominee Sardar Ziaul Qamar. In LA-16 (Sharqi Bagh), Sardar Ilyas is pitted against PPP's Sardar Qamar Zaman, while Sardar Attique Khan, representing the Muslim Conference, is up against Sajid Iqbal Abbasi of the new Awam Dast-o-Bazu Party. The election is expected to be a significant moment in AJK's political landscape, with several parties vying for control.",
  "summary": "The third phase of elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is currently underway in four constituencies in Poonch Division’s Bagh and Haveli districts. Polling began at 8am and will continue until 5pm. Government officials have anticipated clashes in some areas, while the Election Commission has classified most of the 803 polling stations in the four constituencies as either sensitive or highly…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "3rd phase of AJK polls: Voting underway in Poonch Division's Bagh and Haveli districts",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/3rd-phase-of-ajk-polls-voting-underway-in-poonch-divisions-bagh-and-437819",
        "published": "2026-08-10T04:26:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}