rki.news

Altaf Hamid Rao

MIRPUR (AJK): July 21: Former President and Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, has formally urged the Chief Election Commissioner to postpone the Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for July 27, citing the prevailing law and order situation in various parts of the region.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Sardar Yaqoob expressed concern over what he described as a deteriorating security environment marked by unrest, violence, loss of life, movement restrictions, and continuing security threats. He warned that such conditions could undermine the holding of free, fair, transparent, and peaceful elections.
He said the prevailing situation posed risks to voters, candidates, polling staff, and security personnel, while also affecting citizens’ ability to exercise their democratic right to vote without fear.
Referring to Article 50(7) of the AJK Interim Constitution, 1974, and relevant provisions of the AJK Election Act, 2020, he said it was the constitutional responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure elections were conducted with integrity, transparency, and fairness.
Sardar Yaqoob urged the Election Commission to immediately review the security situation, obtain reports from the civil administration, police, and law enforcement agencies, and convene an emergency meeting of major political parties and stakeholders.
He requested that the July 27 elections be deferred until the security situation improves sufficiently to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process. He expressed hope that the Commission would take a decision in the broader interest of public safety, democracy, and the credibility of the elections.