Voters went to the polls Monday in the final phase of elections for the legislative assembly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, following weeks of violent protests and clashes with security forces that overshadowed campaigning in the disputed Himalayan region, officials said.
Men and women began lining up early at polling stations in Poonch district in the disputed Himalayan region, where four assembly seats were being contested.
Raja Shakeel, a spokesperson for the regional election commission, said voting was underway in four constituencies despite a boycott call by the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, which had urged residents not to participate in the election.
Pakistan’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N party has already secured a majority and is expected to form the regional government for the first time in a decade after winning 24 of the 34 seats decided in the first two phases of voting.
Security was tightened around polling stations as voters cast ballots to choose their representatives in Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and India.
