ALTAF HAMID RAO;
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Amidst comparatively thin turn-out – as compared to the general elections, the bye-elections to Mirpur LA-3, Mirpur-III and Charhoi LA-12 Kotli-V seats of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly were held on Sunday in a free, fair and peaceful atmosphere.
The seat of LA-3 Mirpur-III had fallen vacant due to Barrister Sultan Mahamood Choudhry’s election as President of Azad Jammu Kashmir State. Sultan, the nominee of PTI, had won the seat from this constituency in July 25 general elections in AJK. Similarly LA 12 (Charhoi) Kotli-V had fallen vacant due to the resignation of Ch.Muhammad Yasin from one out of two seats he had won in the July 25 general elections – simultaneously from Kotli city and Charhoi constituencies.
A total of 12 candidates, belonging to various political parties and independents, are in the run to contest bye elections in Mirpur – III, LA-3 constituency of Azad Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly. Likewise a total of 14 candidates have jumped into the arena to contest the polls in electoral constituency of LA 12 (Charhoi) Kotli-V.
Mirpur LA-3 Mirpur-III constituency, contains a total of 85925 registered voters including 45447 male and 40478 female voters – of whom a thin number reportedly to the polls to exercise their right of franchise to elect their representative to the State Legislative Assembly for next 05 years constitutional term of the Legislative Assembly, lower house of the AJK Parliament. A total of 147 polling stations including 68 for males, 65 for females and 14 combined have been established in Mirpur LA-3 Mirpur-III constituency to facilitate the voters to use their right of vote in the polls. Similarly in LA- LA-12 Kotli- V constituency, the voters from amongst a total of 106428 registered voters including 57838 male and 48590 female voters went to the polls to exercise their right of franchise at a total of 198 polling stations, set up in the constituency to facilitate voters to elect their representative to the State Legislative Assembly..
Regarding measures to maintain fool proof arrangements for holding of the polls in absolutely free, fair and peaceful environment, the Commissioner Mirpur Division Ch. Muhammad Raqeeb told this Correspondent on Sunday that the para-military troops comprising rangers were posted at the polling stations to assist the local civil administration including police for maintaining complete peace and order during the elections in both of the electoral constituencies. Despite minor skirmishes among the supporters of the candidates at certain of the polling stations in both of the constituencies, the overall polling process remained absolutely, free, fair and transparent in peaceful environment, the Divisional Commissioner said while responding to a question .
Elaborating, he said that at normal polling stations, 07 number of Rangers troops and 09 AJK police COPs were posted at each polling Station. Similarly 07 Rangers and 11 AJK Cops will be Posted at each sensitive polling station and 07 Rangers and 13 AJK Cops will be posted at each highly sensitive polling stations to maintain peace and order during the polling which will begin at 08.00 in the morning and will continue till 05 in the evening without any pause, he added. “The Rangers troops will also be available at the polling stations to perform as Quick Response Force (QRF) for ensuring fool proof peace and security to facilitate holding of the polling in absolutely free, fair and peaceful environment, the Div. Commission underlined.
Polling started at 8.00 in the morning and continued till the stipulated 5.00 in the evening without any pause. A thin turn-out of voters was found exercising their right of to elect their representative to the incumbent State Legislative Assembly for rest of its constitutional period. Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu Kashmir Judge (Retd) Abdul Rasheed Sulehriya, Senior Member AJK Election Commission Raja Farooq Niaz, District Returning Officer / District and Session Judge Faisal Majeed, Commissioner Mirpur Division Ch. Muhammad Raqeeb , DIG Police Mirpur Div. Chaudhry Sajad Hussain , Deputy Commissioner Bader Muneer, Senior Superintendent Police Raja Irfan Salim, Assistant Election Commissioner Mirpur district Arshad Hussain and other officials of the district administration closely monitored the election process whole of the day by visiting scores of the polling stations to supervise and review the holding of the polling in free, fair and peaceful environment.
“The polling held in absolutely free, fair and peaceful atmosphere and there is no any report of any disturbance or major incident from any polling stations in both of the constituencies”, said Commissioner Mirpur Division Chaudhry Muhammad Raqeeb who visited, along with Deputy Inspector General Police Mirpur Division Ch. Sajaad Hussain, various polling stations in Mirpur and Charhoi (Kotli) constituencies.
The Divisional Commissioner Muhammad Raqeeb further said that the local Divisional and district administrations had made adequate arrangements to maintain peace and order to ensure holding of the polls in free, fair and peaceful environment.
To a question, the Divisional Commissioner said that since ensuring the holding of the election in peaceful and transparent environment was the basic responsibility of the divisional and district administrations, the administration left no stone un-turned to perform this responsibility in letter and spirit. Besides several of independent candidates, most of the illustrious political parties of power politics including the AJK’s sitting ruling Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf ( PTI ), AJK chapters of PML (N}, PPP, Tehreek e Labaik Pakistan (TLP), were in the run in the polls. It may be mentioned here that Yasir Sultan, the son of the newly-elected President of AJK State Barrister Sultan Mahmud Chaudhry, was the nominee of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf from LA-3, Mirpur – III constituency against his closest rival candidate Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed, former minister of AJK and the candidate of the PML (N) in the elections. Similarly ex city Mayor and former Advisor to AJK government Ch. Muhammad Ashraf, the candidate of Pakistan Peoples Party and Umair Asghar Chaudhry of Tehreek e Labaik Pakistan, besides several independent candidates had also jumped to contest the election in Mirpur -III, LA-3 constituency.
On July 25, the PTI had succeeded in forming a government after securing a land slide victory in the general elections in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.