The Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday announced July 27 as the date for general elections in the disputed region and issued the complete election schedule.
According to a notification, polling for all constituencies of the AJK Legislative Assembly would be held on July 27 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It says candidates would be able to submit their nomination papers to returning officers from June 9-19.
Scrutiny of nomination papers would take place on June 20, with a preliminary list of candidates to be issued the same day.
Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers may be filed with the Election Commission from June 21-24 with hearings on the appeals to occur on June 26-27. Final decisions would be announced June 28-29.
According to the schedule, candidates can withdraw their nomination papers until June 30, with a list of contesting candidates to be published on July 1. Election symbols would be allotted on July 2, with a final list of candidates and their election symbols to follow the same day.
Separately, the AJK Legislative Assembly has passed a resolution retaining 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees, contrary to demands of the Joint Action Committee, which has announced a strike for June 9.
The resolution states that refugee representation was a historical and constitutional reality, adding any necessary reforms to remove electoral complications and make the system acceptable to political parties could be implemented through the new assembly.
The resolution further said constitutional reforms were the exclusive authority and mandate of elected representatives and the matter should be left to the Legislative Assembly. It called for consultations with political parties, bar associations, the bar council, civil society and constitutional experts.