Farhan Qureshi 
The AJK Election Commission has fixed August 24, 2026, for polling for eight reserved seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly, marking the next step in forming the elected assembly.
The reserved-seat process will take place after two rounds of direct elections on July 27 and August 2. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has won 24 directly contested seats in the completed phases, while the Pakistan Peoples Party has bagged 10 seats.
Eight Reserved Seats To Be Filled By Assembly Vote
The August 24 polling will be for the five seats reserved for women, one seat for Ulema-e-Deen or Mashaikh, one seat for Jammu and Kashmir State Subjects residing abroad and one seat reserved for technocrats and other professionals.
Voting will take place within the AJK Assembly from 10 am to 1 pm on August 24 as per the announced schedule. The members who have won directly elected seats in the completed phases of the election will elect the reserved seats.
Nomination Process Opens Ahead Of August 24 Vote
The election timetable stipulates August 20 as the date of submission of nomination papers by the candidates. Candidates may deliver their papers to the appropriate returning officer between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
After the date for filing nominations is over, the returning officer will scrutinise the nomination papers and publish a list of candidates whose nominations are accepted. This stage, called scrutiny, is very important in the election process because it decides which candidates can go forward to the final ballot.
Deadlines For Appeals And Candidate Withdrawals
The Chief Election Commissioner will hear appeals related to nominations on 22nd August between 9 am and 12 pm at the concerned office. Decisions on the appeals are to follow as per the schedule announced by the Election Commission.
Candidates will be given an opportunity to withdraw from the contest before the final stage. The window to withdraw has been fixed at 2 pm on August 23.
53 Members In AJK Assembly Within Constitutional Framework
There shall be a Legislative Assembly of 53 members, as provided by the AJK Constitution, Article 22(1). Of these, 45 are elected directly by adult franchise and eight by reserved-seat elections held by the directly elected members.
The eight reserved seats consist of five women members, one member each from Ulema-e-Deen or Mashaikh, Jammu and Kashmir state subjects living abroad and technocrats and other professionals.
Seven Direct Seats Unchallenged
The election of reserved seats comes in the background of the incomplete process of direct elections. Elections had not been held to seven of the 45 directly elected seats due to the law and order situation.
Five of the affected constituencies are from Poonch district and two from Sudhnoti district. So the election for the reserved seat will be held by the 38 directly elected members who have been elected so far.
Pml-N Becomes Largest Party After Direct Phases
The direct elections were completed in two phases with PML-N winning 24 seats. The phase of July 27 saw nine seats from the Mirpur division, while the August 2 phase covering the Muzaffarabad division and the 12 refugee seats produced another 15 seats.
The Pakistan Peoples Party bagged 10 constituencies in the completed phases. The pattern of directly elected seats is setting the political stage for the upcoming reserved-seat vote.
Focus Remains On Women’s Representation.
The August 24 election is marked by female representation, with five of the eight reserved positions being for women. Active participation of women in the AJK elections has been termed by political leaders as an encouraging development of the democratic process.
Women’s participation in policy-making may be enhanced by the additional opportunities for entry into the legislative process that reserved seats can provide. The presence of their representatives can also enrich the diversity of voices in the AJK Assembly.
Legislation Expands Representation With Reserved Seats
The other three categories have other representational functions too. The Ulema-e-Deen or Mashaikh seat is reserved for a representative who is aware of Islamic teachings, while the overseas state-subject seat acknowledges members of the wider AJK community living abroad.
The technocrats and the other professionals category provides an opportunity for injecting expertise into the legislative framework. Professionals may have experience in fields like administration, law, economics, technology and other specialised fields.
Election Schedule Offers Clear Road Map
In the notification that the Election Commission has issued, it says that there is a series of events from nominations to final polling. The date for filing of nomination papers has been fixed as August 20, the date for appeals as August 21, the date for hearings as August 22 and the date for withdrawal as August 23.
Polling for the AJK Assembly will then be held on August 24 between 10 am and 1 pm. The set timetable provides a clear framework within which political parties and candidates can complete the process.
AJK Reserved Seat Vote Strengthens Democratic Process
The August 24 vote is a critical stage in the continuation of the AJK electoral process. The reserved-seat election will bring in eight representatives, selected through the assembly mechanism, while 38 members have been directly elected so far.
The process is in contrast to the fact that seven direct elections could not be held due to law and order issues. The Election Commission has taken a decision based on the existing mandate of elections within the framework of the constitutional scheme of reserved representation.
August 24: Next Step Vote On AJK Assembly
AJK Election Commission has announced the polling date of August 24, thus making the reserved-seat election central to the next phase of the region’s democratic process. Eight seats will be contested by assembly members elected in the completed direct-election constituencies.
The election will decide the final representational balance of the 53-member assembly, with five seats reserved for women and three covering Ulema-e-Deen or Mashaikh, overseas state subjects, technocrats and other professionals.
