MIRPUR (Kashmir English): The Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, has extended the polling time by one hour in Mirpur division due to the unusual turnout of voters.
In a statement, the commission chief added that the polling will continue till 6 pm, which was earlier slated to end at 5 pm across three districts of AJK – Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimber.
“Voters will now be able to exercise their right to vote at all polling stations in Mirpur division till 6 pm,” Mughal was quoted as saying.
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Polling in first phase
The polling under the first phase of the general election in the state began at 8 am under tight security in 13 constituencies of Mirpur Division.
At least 296 candidates, belonging to different political parties and independent, are in the fray.
The election commission said that 2,454 polling stations have been set up in Mirpur, including 597 in 4 constituencies of Mirpur, 1,107 in 6 constituencies of Kotli district and 608 in 3 constituencies of Bhimber.
A total of more than 1.4 million registered voters will exercise their right to vote in the first phase, including more than 400,000 voters in Mirpur district, about 350,000 in Bhimber district, and 647,378 voters in Kotli district.
Police, Rangers, and other law enforcement officials were deployed inside and outside the polling stations, while special security arrangements were made at polling stations declared sensitive and highly sensitive.
The district administration, election staff, and security agencies are continuously monitoring the election process.
Earlier, while talking to the media, the Chief Election Commissioner said that voting is going on in a peaceful atmosphere so far.
He appealed to the people of Mirpur division to come out to exercise their right to vote and play an important role in government formation by using their valuable vote.
“Elections are the only opportunity when the people can elect representatives of their choice by casting their votes,” he said, adding that the people should not compromise on their votes and should come out of their homes to vote.
