MIRPUR (AJK) - The AJK Election Commission has allotted electoral symbols to the political parties and independent candidates as a total of 41 registered political parties are in the race of July-21 general elections.
Sources said that the major political parties include Pakistan Muslim League (Lion), Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaf (Bat), Jamaat-e -Islami (Scale), Pakistan Peoples Party (Arrow), Jammu & Kashmir Peoples Party (Sword), Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (Deer) and Muttahida Qoumi Movement (Kite).
Besides, the AJK Election Commission has also allotted electoral symbols to hundreds of the independent candidates in the run to fight for elections to 41 seats of 49-member AJK Legislative Assembly, the lower house of the AJK Parliament.
A total of 423 candidates belonging to the parties as well as independent candidates have jumped in to the elections arena in all 41 electoral constituencies including 29 in 10 districts of AJK and 12 meant for Pakistan-based refugees of occupied-Jammu & Kashmir) in 49-member Azad Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly for next five-year constitutional term under Act- 1974, the Interim constitution of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The rest of eight reserved seats including five meant for women folk and one each for technocrats, Ulema/Mashaikh and overseas Kashmiris will be filled in later on by the electoral college comprising 41 members to be elected in the scheduled polls on direct adult franchise basis. Polling will be held on July 21, 2016 without any pause simultaneously in all above 41 electoral constituencies in AJK districts as well as in various parts of Pakistan where the refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir are dwelling in.
