AJK Legislative Assembly Elections 2026 - What You Need To Know
- By Shahmir Kazi -
- Jul 22, 2026
The 2026 general elections for the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly are scheduled in three phases. These elections will elect members to the 53-seat assembly (45 general seats + 8 reserved: 5 for women, 1 each for ulema, technocrats, and overseas J&K nationals).
Date and Phased Polling:
Originally set for a single day on July 27, 2026 (8 a.m.–5 p.m.), the Election Commission revised the schedule on July 21, 2026, into three phases after consultations with parties.
Phase 1 (July 27, 2026): Mirpur Division (13 territorial constituencies).
Phase 2 (August 2, 2026): Muzaffarabad Division (9 constituencies) + all 12 refugee constituencies (in Pakistan).
Phase 3 (August 10, 2026): Poonch Division (11 constituencies)
Voters and Logistics: Approximately 3.804 million registered voters (≈3.366 million in the 33 territorial constituencies within AJK; ≈438,500 in refugee seats). The Commission plans 6,983 polling stations and 10,913 booths.
Nominations: 1,265 papers filed initially (1,047 for territorial seats, 218 for refugee seats), a >30% increase from 2021. After scrutiny, appeals, and withdrawals (by June 30/July 3), the final list showed around 852 candidates contesting the 45 general seats. Symbols were allotted on July 2, 2026.
The elections follow the collapse of the previous PTI-led government (post-2021) through defections and no-confidence motions. Faisal Mumtaz Rathore (PPP) has been Prime Minister since November 2025.
The 33 territorial constituencies are grouped by division (approximate based on standard delimitation; exact boundaries follow official notifications). Refugee seats (LA-30–LA-41 or similar numbering) cover specific areas in Pakistan where refugees reside.Mirpur Division (Phase 1 – July 27): Primarily Mirpur, Bhimber, and Kotli districts (13 seats).
- LA-1: Dadyal (Mirpur)
- LA-2: Chakswari / Islamgarh (Mirpur)
- LA-3: New Mirpur City (Mirpur)
- LA-4: Khari Sharif (Mirpur)
- LA-5: Barnala (Bhimber)
- LA-6: Samahni (Bhimber area)
- LA-7: Bhimber (Bhimber)
- LA-8: Raj Mahal (Kotli)
- LA-9: Fatepur Thakiala / Nakyal (Kotli)
- LA-10: Kotli City (Kotli)
- LA-11: Sehnsa (Kotli)
- LA-12: Charhoi (Kotli)
- LA-13: Khuiratta (Kotli)
Poonch Division (Phase 3 – August 10): Bagh, Haveli, Poonch, and Sudhnoti districts (11 seats).
- LA-14: Wasti Bagh (Bagh)
- LA-15: Sharqi Bagh (Bagh)
- LA-16: Forward Kahuta / Haveli (Haveli)
- LA-17: Abbas Pur (Haveli/Poonch area)
- LA-18: Hajeera / Hajira (Poonch)
- LA-19: Rawlakot (Poonch)
- LA-20: Thorar (Poonch)
- LA-21: Palandri Sudhnoti (Sudhnoti)
- LA-22: Baloch Sadhnoti (Sudhnoti)
- LA-23/24: Additional seats in Sudhnoti/Poonch or adjacent (e.g., Athmuqm/Pateeka areas; exact alignment per final delimitation)
Muzaffarabad Division (Phase 2 – August 2): Muzaffarabad, Hattian Bala, Neelum, etc. (≈9 seats).
- LA-25: Lachrat (Muzaffarabad)
- LA-26: Muzaffarabad City
- LA-27: Khawra (Muzaffarabad)
- LA-28: Chukar / Hattian Bala
- LA-29: Leepa (Neelum Valley area)
- Additional Neelum/Muzaffarabad seats as per final list (e.g., LA-23/24 overlap in some references).
Refugee Constituencies (Phase 2 – August 2): 12 seats for J&K refugees in Pakistan (typically LA-30–LA-41).
- Jammu seats (LA-30 to LA-35 or equivalent): Jammu-1 to Jammu-6, covering refugees in areas like Karachi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, etc.
- Valley seats (LA-36 to LA-41 or equivalent): Valley-1 to Valley-6, covering Kashmir Valley refugees in Pakistan (e.g., Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar/KPK areas).
Major Parties, Alliances, and Candidates
- LA-1 (Dadyal/Mirpur-I): Afsar Shahid
- LA-2 (Chakswari): Qasim Majeed
- LA-3 (Mirpur City): Yasir Sultan
- LA-4 (Khari Sharif): Chaudhry Sohaib Arshad
- LA-5 (Barnala/Bhimber-I): Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf
- LA-8 (Raj Mahal/Kotli-I): Malik Zafar
- LA-9 (Nakyal/Kotli-II): Javed Iqbal Bhadhana/Budhanvi
- LA-10 & LA-12 (Kotli areas): Chaudhry Yasin (contesting multiple in some reports)
- LA-11 (Sehnsa): Chaudhry Akhlaq
- LA-17 (Bagh-IV/Haveli — incumbent PM’s seat): Faisal Mumtaz Rathore (PPP leader/contender)
- Other notable: Sardar Qamar Zaman, Sardar Amjad Yousaf, Sardar Saud Sadiq, Sardar Yaqoob, Sardar Muhammad Abid Khan, Sardar Faheem Akhtar Rabbani (Bagh/Poonch/Sudhnoti areas); Mian Abdul Waheed, Sardar Javed Ayub, Syed Bazil Naqvi, etc. (Muzaffarabad/Neelum); various for refugee seats (e.g., Col. Retd. Qadeer Chauhan for Jammu seats, Amir Abdul Ghaffar Lone for Valley seats).
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) — Main opposition (led locally by Shah Ghulam Qadir, contesting from Neelum-I/LA-25 area). Fielding ≈44 candidates. Attracted some former PTI figures. Seat adjustments with Muslim Conference on some refugee seats (e.g., LA-45 Valley-6).
- LA-8 (Raj Mahal): Malik Muhammad Nawaz Khan
- LA-16 (Sharqi Bagh): Mir Akbar Khan (former PTI)
- LA-18 (Abbaspur/Hajira area): Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin Gulshan
- LA-33 or similar (Muzaffarabad area): Chaudhry Muhammad Rasheed (former PTI)
- Refugee seats: Mohammad Ahsan Raza (Jammu-3/Sialkot area), Mohammad Amir Shah (Valley-2/Lahore area), others like Nasir Hussain Dar, etc.
- Traditional strongholds in parts of Muzaffarabad, Neelum, and some Kotli/Bhimber areas.
Other Parties:
- PTI: Boycotting officially (no party tickets). Some former members defected or may run as independents.
- Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC): Contesting (symbol: Horse); historical presence.
- Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), People’s National Party (PNP), Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party (JKPP), and others (e.g., TLP) fielding candidates in select seats. Many independents expected to play a role.