PoK Elections: This evening, the Election Commission of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) shared that elections for some seats in the Poonch and Palandri districts have been indefinitely postponed. The previous two rounds of elections in the region were characterised by violent protests.
PoK Elections: PoK Election Commission’s Statement
The election commission of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) shared a formal statement today about the third phase of voting, which was initially scheduled for August 8, 2026. “The electoral process in seven constituencies of Poonch district and Sudhnoti’s Pallandri will not be held on August 10”, the statement said.
It then added that “However, polling for three constituencies of Bagh district and one in Haveli will be held on August 10 as per schedule”. Details about when and how the voting will happen in Poonch and Palandri districts has not been shared yet.
“We will announce the new polling dates and a revised election schedule for Poonch and Pallandri after reviewing the situation and considering all relevant matters,”, it said.
PoK Elections: Why Did the Election Get Postponed?
The regional electoral commission of PoK cited security concerns as its primary reason for the sudden postponement. According to some reports, the news that tomorrow’s voting round has been postponed also resulted in protests.
“We have received a report from the home secretary there that shows concerns over the law-and-order situation in some areas of Poonch district and Pallandri district. The next date for the polls on these constituencies will be announced later,”., it stated
The news of the elections getting postponed in some areas is hardly a surprise, as the previous two rounds were full of protests, angst and unrest. The protests were held by a group called the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been outlawed by the Pakistani government.
According to the JAAC, protests during the first round of elections led to over 40 killings. It also stated that over 400 people had been killed in the region since Early June.
PoK Election: About the Election
The first and second round of elections in PoK were held on July 27 and August 2 respectively. The region’s representative body which is called the Kashmir Legislative Assembly includes a total of 53 seats and elections are held for 45 of them (remaining 8 are reserved seats).
According to preliminary results, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has taken a commanding lead, winning 24 out of the 34 seats. On the other hand, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is trailing and has alleged irregularities in the electoral process.
Indian Authorities Response
Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for the central government’s Ministry of External Affairs has slammed the elections. “The current cosmetic electoral exercise is nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and hide its grave human rights violations in the region. As we have stated earlier, the ongoing mass protest in PoJK, of which you are aware, is the direct consequence of economic exploitation, its denial of fundamental rights to the people and its administrative operations,”, he stated.
He also described the elections as a ‘complete farce’ and reaffirmed that Pakistan maintains illegal control of the region. Islamabad has not issued any response to Jaiswal’s statement.
