Azad and Jammu Kashmir is holding the local bodies elections today (Sunday) for the first time in over three decades.
In the first phase, the elections are being held in three districts of Muzaffarabad division – Muzaffarabad, Neelum and Jhelum Valley – where voting process started at 8:00am and will continue till 5:00pm.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission secretary said that 2,716 candidate, including 31 women, are contesting the local bodies elections in the Muzaffarabad division.
Saying 1,314 polling stations have been set up in the division, he said that 418 polling stations had been declared sensitive and 257 others as highly-sensitive.
Around 4,500 personnel of AJK police have been deployed across the division while army troops will also be available for security during elections.
As the local bodies polls are being held after 31 years in the valley, he expected that turnout will be more than the registered in the general elections.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued 575 tickets to its candidates, and PPP 545 while the PML-N has issued 465 tickets for the local bodies elections.
After the phase-wised competition of elections in AJK, the development funds in the region will be spent through local councils instead of members of the AJK Assembly.