Senior journalist Talat Hussain, in his analysis of the Azad Kashmir elections, said that the voter turnout exceeded 50 percent, describing it as an encouraging figure.

He said that more than 3.8 million voters are registered in Azad Kashmir, of whom more than 1.4 million had the opportunity to cast their votes. According to him, the overall turnout was around 50 percent, while in some areas it was recorded between 52 and 53 percent.

Talat Hussain said the elections witnessed tough competition among the major political parties. He said candidates from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) took part in the elections, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) did not participate and boycotted the electoral process.

He further said that the banned Joint Awami Action Committee’s long march is currently moving towards Muzaffarabad.

It is worth noting that the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has extended polling time by one hour in 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division due to a high number of voters at polling stations. The decision was taken to ensure that all eligible voters present in the queues can cast their votes.

According to election officials, the extension was announced after considering the significant voter turnout. The Chief Election Commissioner directed that voters already present in queues by the scheduled closing time should be allowed to cast their ballots without any difficulty.

The strong voters turnout manifests the confidence of the people of Azad Kashmir in the democratic process and the power of their vote. A large number of citizens came out to elect their representatives and actively participated in the electoral process

Also Read: AJK elections: unofficial results start coming from Mirpur Division