BY: FT Correspondent:
Islamabad— Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Vice President and Senator Sherry Rehman has expressed serious concern over the delayed start of polling at several polling stations during the second phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections.
She said that delays in the arrival of election staff had caused significant inconvenience to voters, adding that polling remained delayed at several stations, raising serious questions about the election management.
According to Sherry Rehman, polling has been delayed at multiple polling stations in LA-28, LA-31, LA-25, and LA-34 constituencies.
She further stated that at the women’s polling station in Shark Kamal Bandi under LA-31, only one police officer had been deployed despite the station having already been declared sensitive.
The PPP leader urged the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to take immediate notice of the closure of the Rangla–Katkair road in LA-31, where PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar is contesting. She said the road has remained blocked since last night, leaving more than 50 vehicles carrying voters stranded and preventing a large number of voters from reaching their designated polling stations.
Sherry Rehman said that several written complaints regarding polling delays and other alleged irregularities had already been submitted to the Election Commission. She called on the Commission to conduct an immediate inquiry into the reported issues and ensure that polling proceeds without further delay.
She emphasized that every voter must be allowed to exercise their democratic right without obstruction, stating that free, fair, and impartial elections are the cornerstone of democracy. She added that no compromise can be made on the sanctity of the vote.
