Campaigning for the first phase of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) general election will end at midnight today, with polling set to take place on July 27 across Mirpur Division amid heightened security.

According to the AJK Election Commission, all election activities, including public meetings, rallies, processions and corner meetings, will be prohibited after the campaign period ends.

The commission warned that candidates, political parties and supporters must strictly comply with election laws and the code of conduct, adding that violations would invite legal action.

The AJK government has declared July 27 a public holiday across Mirpur Division to facilitate voting.

Kotli, the largest district going to the polls in the first phase, will elect representatives on six legislative assembly seats.

A total of 135 candidates are contesting the seats, while more than 647,000 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots.

In Bhimber district, around 300,000 voters will vote for candidates contesting three constituencies — LA-5 Barnala, LA-6 Samahni and LA-7 Bhimber.

A total of 63 candidates are in the race.

In LA-5 Barnala, PML-N candidate and serving minister Colonel (retd) Waqar Noor faces former minister Chaudhry Pervez Ashraf of the Pakistan Peoples Party, while Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate Malik Iftikhar Tayyab Awan is also in the contest.

LA-6 Samahni is expected to witness a close race between PML-N’s Chaudhry Muhammad Razaq and IPP candidate Chaudhry Ali Shan Soni.

In LA-7 Bhimber, former AJK prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq is contesting as an independent candidate against PML-N AJK Secretary General Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, with IPP’s Professor Raja Ayaz Khan also in the fray.

Meanwhile, security has been significantly reinforced for the elections, with around 16,000 police personnel deployed from across Pakistan.

Punjab Police has contributed 14,000 officers for election duty, while Sindh has dispatched 2,000 personnel.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has sent 500 officers, Balochistan 200 and Gilgit-Baltistan 100.

Additional contingents have also been drawn from various districts of Punjab, including Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Gujranwala, Mandi Bahauddin and Hafizabad, to assist in maintaining law and order during polling.

Authorities said the large-scale deployment is aimed at ensuring peaceful, transparent and orderly elections during the first phase of the AJK polls.