ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Election Commission on Tuesday approved the issuance of the schedule for by-elections on 13 vacant seats of local bodies across the region.
The schedule was approved during an important meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner AJK Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal.
The meeting was attended by Member Election Commission Syed Nazir-ul-Hassan Gilani, Secretary Election Commission Raja Muhammad Shakeel Khan, and other concerned officers.
According to the statement, by-elections will be held in Azad Kashmir for 6 chairman union councils, 3 chairman municipal committees, 3 vice-chairman union councils, one youth councilor from Jhelum Valley district, 2 reserved seats for women from Bagh and Jhelum Valley, and one farmer councilor from Muzaffarabad.
It was also decided in the meeting that the election schedule for the remaining 21 local government seats will be announced after the availability of funds.
The CEC Ghulam Mustafa issued instructions to send a formal letter to the Chairman NADRA to implement the Computerized Electoral System (CES) in all district offices of the Election Commission for a more transparent and effective election process.
Furthermore, it was decided in the meeting that special training will be provided to the registration officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan (CEC) regarding the registration of voters of the constituencies of refugees residing in Pakistan, so that the process of preparing electoral rolls can be aligned with modern requirements.
New CEC Azad Kashmir appointed
The newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal took oath as the Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Justice of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Justice Raja Saeed Akram Khan administered the oath to him.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Supreme Court Building, Muzaffarabad, in which Member Election Commission Syed Nazir-ul-Hassan Gilani, Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Liaquat Ali, besides secretaries to the government, district judiciary, and a large number of lawyers, participated.
Earlier, the Law and Justice Department of Azad Kashmir officially notified the appointment of Justice (retired) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of AJK for a five-year term
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-Article (3) of Article 50 of the AJK Interim Constitution, 1974, the President of Azad Kashmir, on the advice of the Chairman of the AJ&K Council, is pleased to appoint Mr. Justice (Retd.) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, as Chief Election Commissioner of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for a term of five years,” the notification stated.
