Pakistan-administered Kashmir has concluded the first round of its Legislative Assembly elections under the shadow of weeks of protests, as authorities enforce tight security and conduct voting in three phases.
The assembly election is taking place on July 27, August 2 and August 10 after election authorities said the staggered schedule would help ensure security and improve the management of the electoral process.
The first phase of voting covered 13 constituencies in Mirpur Division, including the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber, where more than 1.4 million eligible voters were expected to cast their ballots out of 3.8 million residents.
The election — which takes place once every five years — will decide 45 directly elected members of the Legislative Assembly, while 8 additional reserved seats will later be allocated.
A total of 296 candidates are contesting the first phase, representing parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), as well as independent candidates.
The result is being closely watched as a key political test for Pakistan’s mainstream parties midway through the federal government’s term, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is boycotting the election.
