Schedule Announced AJK General Elections To Be Held On July 25

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election commission Thursday announced schedule for general elections in the region for which the polling will be held on July 25

MUZAFFARABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jun, 2021 ) :Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election commission Thursday announced schedule for general elections in the region for which the polling will be held on July 25.

Chief election commissioner Justice retired Abdul Rasheed Sulehria accompanying by two other members of commission Raja Farooq Niaz and Farhat Ali Mir announced the schedule in a crowded press conference here.

According to the schedule, the nomination papers will be filed by the candidates before the returning officers or before June 6 up till 4 pm while the scrutiny of nomination papers will be conducted very next day on June 22 from 8 am onward and the lists of validly nominated candidates will be publicized on the same day.

The last date for filling appeals before election commission against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers by returning officers has been fixed June 27 before 2 pm while the hearing of appeals will be conducted on 28 to 29th of June and the decisions will be announced on June 30 and 1rst July.

July 2 has been fixed as last date for withdrawal of nomination papers by the candidates and list of contesting candidates will be publicized on July 3, Chief Election commissioner added.

Election symbols to parties and candidates will be allotted on July 4 before 2 pm and final list of contesting candidates with election symbols will be publicized on the same day while polling will be conducted on July 25 from 8: 00 am to 5:00 pm.

The chief election commissioner also announced a code of conduct for contesting parties and candidates allowing them only one big public gathering in each constituency besides banning huge banners placards and posters.

He said the limit of election expenditures had been fixed as Rs. 5 million for each candidate and the candidates will file the details of expenditures before the election commissioner which he said was empowered to take action against spending above the fixed limit.

He said with the announcement of schedule, ban had been imposed on all types of appointments, transfers and postings, announcement and implementation of new development schemes by the government.

He said commission will seek army's assistance for conducting the elections in free, fair and independent manner however in case of unavailability of armed forces, civil armed forces and paramilitary forces like Rangers, Frontier corps will be called for the purpose.

CEC said no candidate including AJK Prime Minister or Ministers and Special assistance of Federal government will be allowed to use official vehicles in the election campaign and strict action will be taken against any violation of code of conduct under the law.

To a question about election on 12 seats reserved for Kashmir refugees settled in different areas of Pakistan, he said the commission's jurisdiction was within the territorial limits of Azad Kashmir and election on these 12 seats will be looked after by election commission of Pakistan (ECP) and their officers will act as returning officers.

To another question about the credibility of the election commission, he said although two retired bureaucrats Raja Farooq Niaz and Farhat Ali Mir were appointed as members of the commission by the sitting Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan and the former was relative to him but their credibility was above the question.