The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK — a Pakistan-administered territory bordering the disputed Himalayan region) Election Commission has restructured its upcoming legislative assembly vote into three phases, running from July 27 to August 10. Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal said the change was made to ensure sufficient army troops could be rotated across the region's three divisions — Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Poonch — to guarantee security, with political parties having insisted on military deployment before agreeing to participate. The decision comes amid weeks of protests and clashes in parts of AJK, particularly in Poonch division, where the now-banned Joint Awami Action Committee has led demonstrations demanding the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees from Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.