CONSIDERING the political unrest that has rocked Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, free and fair general elections are essential to finding a democratic solution to AJK’s issues. Which is why the current three-phase exercise, which began on Monday with votes being cast in Mirpur division, should be conducted with absolute integrity — and without any phase of the electoral process influencing the outcome of the next.

The next phase is scheduled for Aug 2, covering Muzaffarabad division and 12 refugee seats, and the last round of voting will be on Aug 10 for Poonch. This is the first time that general elections in AJK are being held in phases. As per the preliminary results, the PML-N appears in pole position,........

© Dawn