AJK Election Commission accelerates preparations for 2026 polls

MUZAFFARABAD( Rizwan Abbasi): The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission issued an order to speed up preparations for the general elections 2026, while giving ten days to members of the assembly to submit returns.

The AJK Election Commission also issued a warning of suspension for violation. In addition, important reminders were also provided to the government regarding local body by-elections and electoral reforms.

According to the details, the first formal meeting of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission was held after its appointment under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal.

The meeting was attended by esteemed members of the Election Commission, Syed Nazir-ul-Hassan Gilani, Raja Muhammad Shakeel, and other concerned officers. Several important decisions were taken in the meeting regarding the holding of the general elections 2026.

The Commission issued instructions to immediately start election preparations in view of the shortage of time. The qualifying date for voter registration was fixed as April 1, 2026.

Assistant Commissioners will be appointed as registration officers in Azad Kashmir, while District Election Commissioners will be appointed as registration officers for Jammu and Kashmir refugees living in Pakistan with the consent of the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan.

The Election Commission directed the members of the assembly to submit their asset declarations within 10 days, or their membership will be suspended as per the law.

An important decision was also taken regarding the registration of political parties, and all political parties were directed to complete their registration immediately. The Secretary Election Commission was directed to form a committee in this regard and present the cases of eligible parties before the commission within a week.

In the meeting, it was decided to send a reminder letter to the government to amend the law regarding separate electoral lists of Qadianis and other non-Muslim citizens in light of the Supreme Court’s decision.

In connection with the local body by-elections, the Finance Department was directed to send a reminder for the release of funds, and due to limited financial resources, the schedule for the elections of the Chairman and Vice Chairman was issued in a phased manner.

The Election Commission stressed the effective functioning of the computerized electoral roll system, the provision of internet facility through SCO, and the immediate release of funds for the payment of pending financial matters with the Finance Department.

At the end of the meeting, the Chief Election Commissioner directed the concerned departments to ensure the immediate implementation of all decisions as per legal requirements and to present a progress report in the next meeting.