Altaf Hamid Rao:
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Election campaign by the political parties besides the independent candidates jumped into scheduled July 25 Azad Jammu Kashmir general elections to the State Legislative Assembly has reached sky high – since the final lists of the eligible candidates were made public by the concerned returning officers to all 45 electoral constituencies of the AJK legislative assembly – including 33 in AJK and 12 meant for Pakistan-based Jammu Kashmir refugees, the electioneering by the political parties as well as the independent candidates got momentum in all constituencies of the 53-seat AJK Parliament.
Right from the announcement of the schedule to AJK general elections- 2021 by the AJK Election Commission, the election campaign by the contestant political parties besides the independent candidates as well as the general public including supporters of the candidates got momentum amidst traditional zeal and fervor throughout Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Azad Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections-2021 will be held on July 25, this year according to the schedule announced by the AJK Chief Election Commissioner Justice(Retd) Abdul Rasheed Sultehriya. The incumbent 49-seat AJK Legislative Assembly is going to complete its stipulated constitutional life on July 29.
A total of 32 registered political parties have jumped into the elections arena as they so far have nominated their respective candidates to the elections.
According to the investigations conducted by our Special AJK Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao, non of the political parties have reached into any formal electoral alliance and instead they have fielded their respective candidates individually in the scheduled July 25 elections to 53-seat Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu Kashmir for next five year constitutional term.
Hundreds of independent candidates have also landed in the field to fight in all the 45 electoral constituencies including 33 in all 10 AJK districts and 12 meant of Jammu and Kashmir refugees settled in various parts of Pakistan. These seats will be filled in through direct voting on adult-franchise basis.
Prominent among the political parties jumped into the polls arena individually so far include AJK chapters of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Muslim Conference, Jamaat e Islami, Jammu Kashmir Peoples Party and others.
Five seats are reserved for women and three meant for the technocrats – one each reserved for overseas Kashmiris and Ulema / Mashaikh and professionals.
No any electoral alliance from amongst above parties have so far emerged – but individual hectic campaign by all the parties with prime focus to win maximum of seats is moving ahead steadfastly.
