AJK Elections 2026: Polling Extended Till 6pm in Mirpur
News Desk
Mirpur: Election authorities on Monday extended polling by one hour in all 13 constituencies of Mirpur division after witnessing a strong voter turnout during the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections.
The decision was announced by the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, allowing polling stations to remain open until 6:00 pm instead of the originally scheduled closing time of 5:00 pm. Voters present inside polling stations or waiting in queues by the deadline will be allowed to cast their ballots.
Officials said the extension was granted to ensure that the unusually large number of voters arriving at polling stations across Mirpur division could exercise their right to vote without inconvenience.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said polling began at 8:00 am as scheduled and continued peacefully throughout the day. He urged voters to make use of the additional hour and participate actively in the democratic process.
He said elections provide citizens with an opportunity to elect representatives of their choice and stressed that every vote carries significance in shaping the future government. He also appealed to the public to disregard rumors and misinformation and to cast their votes within the extended polling hours.
To ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process, thousands of police personnel, officials from other law enforcement agencies, and Pakistan Army troops have been deployed across Mirpur division. Additional security arrangements have been put in place at sensitive and highly sensitive polling stations.
Mirpur division has more than 1.44 million registered voters, including 724,811 men and 675,626 women. For the elections, authorities established 2,316 polling stations, of which 1,241 have been declared highly sensitive, 724 sensitive, and 351 normal.
A total of 288 candidates are contesting the elections in the division’s 13 constituencies. The largest electoral contest is in LA-3 Mirpur City, where 34 candidates are vying for a single assembly seat.
