MIRPUR (AJK): Dec 05 (APP) ::Arrangements are being given final touches for holding of polling in the 3rd and last phase of the Local Bodies elections in Mirpur Division on December 8, AJK Election Commission sources said.
At least 4500 armed troops of civil armed forces including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police would now be available to assist local civil administration for ensuring of holding civic polls in free, fair and peaceful manner said Raja Muhammad Farooq Niaz Khan, Sr. Member Azad Jammu Kashmir State Election Commission while talking to APP on Monday.
The LB elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir State are being held on political party-basis. However, independent candidates are also in run to contest the polls to get into the civic bodies of all categories across the liberated territory.
The civic polls are being held in three phases under the auspices of AJK Election Commission with the coordination of the judiciary in a free, fair and transparent manner in collaboration of the security institutions including the civil armed forces, local civil law enforcement authorities.
Niaz underlined that Pakistan army shall also be available as quick response force to combat any eventuality during the polls. Adequate arrangements were being given final touches for holding of the LB polls in AJK after a long pause of over three decade, he added.
It may be mentioned that in the 1st and 2nd phases, the local bodies elections have been held in Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions respectively on November 27 and December 03.
In all three districts of Mirpur division including Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts, a total of 12,32079 registered voters will go to exercise their right of franchise to elect the local bodies representatives of their respective choice in the 3rd phase of the polls on December 08.
These registered voters include 5,63,016 in Kotli duistrict, 366,043 in Mirpur district and 303,020 registered voters in Bhimbher district, Sr. Member AJK EC said.
Raja Farooq Niaz continued that a total of 1026 polling stations are being set up in Kotli district, 625 in Mirpur district and 538 in Bhimbher district respectively with 1,602,924 and 850 polling booths in the three above districts respectively to facilitate both male and female registered voters to use their right of vote to elect their civic bodies members, he added.
It may be recalled that in Poonch division, a big turnout of a total of 1,016,889 registered voters went to the polls in 2nd phase of the LB elections held on Saturday, December 03.
A total of 1859 polling stations containing 2697 polling booths were set up in all 04 districts of Poonch Division including Rawalakot, Bagh, Sudhanoti and Haveili districts – wherein 558 polling stations for male, 542 for female voters and 762 joint polling stations were set up to facilitate the registered voters to use their right of vote in the polls.
Muzaffarabad division is comprising three districts of Muzaffarabad, Neelam Valley and Jhelum Valley district contains a total of 695,049 registered male and female voters – wherein the civic polls were held in the first phase on November 27 this year.
In the third and last phase of the elections to be held in Mirpur division, polling will start at 8.00 a.m in the morning and will continue till 5.00 p.m without any pause.
The registered voters to be presented in the premises of the polling stations after passing of the stipulated last time deadline, will also be able to use their right of vote.
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