Polling is currently underway at 23 stations in two constituencies of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s Bagh district on Saturday. Polling began at 8:00 am and will continue till 5:00 pm. Polling is being held in LA-15 Bagh-2 Polling Stations No. 114, 135, 143, 144, 145, 147, 146, 148 and 186. Repolling is being held at LA-16 Bagh-3 Polling Stations No. 26, 29, 140, 149, 143, 112, 111, 110, 109, 91, 77, 51, 50 and 49. The decision to hold repolling was taken after the Returning Officer's report.

Results from 204 out of 213 polling stations for constituency LA-15 Bagh-2 have been received from the Returning Officer as of August 10. Results from 172 out of 186 polling stations in constituency LA-16 Bagh-3 have been received by the Returning Officer. In the third phase of polling on Monday last, PPP’s Sardar Ziaul Qamar secured 16,637 votes in LA-15 (Bagh Central), followed by PML-N’s Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas with 15,015 votes and Jamaat-i-Islami’s retired Brig Dr Muhammad Khan with 12,259 votes.

But as polling \could not be held at nine stations in the constituency, the commission withheld the result. Similarly, the result of LA-16 (Eastern Bagh) was also withheld after polling could not be held at 14 stations, which have a combined 7,238 registered voters. Results from the remaining polling stations showed that PML-N’s Sardar Mir Akbar, who secured 19,515 votes, was leading his closest rival, PPP’s Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, by 3,225 votes.

In both constituencies, all five candidates had accused their opponents of massive rigging. “Since we have more than enough police and other law enforcement personnel available, we have made adequate deployment at the polling stations to provide a fear-free environment to voters,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)