Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission Reschedules Third Phase, Postponing Polling in Seven Poonch Constituencies Over Law and Order Concerns.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission issued a revised timetable on Friday, saying that polling in seven of the 11 constituencies of the Poonch Division is postponed because of concerns about the law and order situation. Only four constituencies, located in Bagh and Haveli districts, will hold elections on August 10 as originally planned, the commission stated in a press release. Poonch Division contains 11 seats overall: three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in the core Poonch area and two in Sudhnoti. Elections in the region proceed in three phases – Mirpur and Muzaffarabad divisions voted on July 27 and August 2, respectively, while the third phase in Poonch is scheduled for August 10. The commission’s decision reflects ongoing tensions between protesters and authorities, prompting a cautious approach that delays voting where security conditions are uncertain.