Mirpur votes to elect representatives in AJK by-election

MUZAFFARABAD: Voting for by-elections in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Mirpur division got underway Sunday morning.

According to the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the polling process began at 8am and will continue until 5pm without any break.

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While the AJK police have been deployed for security, the army and Rangers personnel have been called in as quick response force in both constituencies, LA-3 (Mirpur-III) and LA-12 (Kotli-V).

There are a total of 85,919 registered voters in LA-3 while 106,260 voters in LA-12.

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As many as 12 candidates are vying for the LA-3 seat that fell vacant after Barrister Sultan Mahmood’s elevation as AJK president in August this year.

A tough contest is expected between ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Yasir Sultan, son of the AJK president, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed.

Read: Number of votes secured by PTI, PPP, PML-N in AJK elections 2021‎

Raja Riasat of PML-N and Chaudhry Shauqat Farid of PTI are in the run for the LA-12 seat that fell vacant after PPP’s Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin, who won two seats in Kotli district, vacated it.