PPP speaker for AJK assembly disqualified

MUZAFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly Speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq was disqualified over corruption charges on Monday, three days before the general elections.

A two-member High Court bench disqualified the Pakistan People's Party leader for taking two salaries. Sardar Ghulam Sadiq had won elections from LA-18.

Fierce competition is expected in the upcoming in elections. The Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are the three main contenders for the general elections.

On the 43 seats that are up for grabs 423 candidates are contesting. Over 2,200,000 are expected to vote in the elections scheduled for July 21.

Twenty nine seats will be voted on for directly by people in Azad Kashmir. The other 12 seats will voted for by Kashmir refugees settled in various parts of Pakistan.

There are eight reserved seats in the assembly, of which five are for women, one for a technocrat, one for a religious scholar and one is for an overseas Pakistani.

Forty two political parties have registered themselves from Azad Kashmir in the Election Commission of Pakistan. Of them 26 political parties are taking part in the elections held this year.

Over 5000 polling stations have been established of which 1500 have been declared sensitive.

The army will be deployed at polling stations during elections.

The Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are the three main contenders for the general elections.

Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, who belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), will hold his office till July 23, two days after the elections.