MUZAFFARABAD: After a long wait of over three decades, the first phase of the local government elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) concluded at 5:00 pm today.
The polling concluded in three districts of Muzaffarabad Division — Neelum Valley, Jhelum Valley and Muzaffarabad. The polling continued till 5 pm without any break.
Strict security measures have been put in place to maintain law and order during the polling in AJK.
Of the 1,323 polling stations, 418 have been declared ‘sensitive’ and 257 ‘most sensitive’, where three and five police personnel will be deployed, respectively. According to officials, two policemen are usually deployed at other polling stations.
The candidates include 575 from the PTI, 465 from the PML-N, 545 from the PPP, 113 from All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, 67 from TLP, 46 from JI while 900 are independent candidates.
It is pertinent to mention that local government elections in the other two divisions of the state Poonch and Mirpur will be held on the 3rd and 8th of next month.
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