The Election Commission operating in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) announced on Tuesday that the election for the post of President will take place on September 24, 2026. The constitutional seat has remained unoccupied since January following the death of former president Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry. The notification sets in motion the official electoral process across the administrative setup in Muzaffarabad, concluding months of administrative vacancy at the top legislative tier of the occupied territory.

Single-Day Voting and Counting at Assembly Secretariat: Electoral College Breakdown

Announcing the formal schedule during a press briefing in Muzaffarabad, Chief Election Commissioner Ghulam Mustafa Mughal confirmed that polling will be conducted at the local Assembly Secretariat on September 24, with vote tallying scheduled for the same evening. Under the established rules, the president is chosen on a simple majority basis through an electoral college restricted to sitting members of the legislative assembly. With the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) controlling a decisive legislative majority in the house, political observers expect the ruling party's nominee to secure the position without significant contest.

New Delhi Rejects Political Exercises in Occupied Territory as 'Hollow and Sham'

The upcoming vote takes place against the backdrop of firm objections from New Delhi regarding political and electoral maneuvers orchestrated by Islamabad in the occupied areas. The Indian government has maintained a consistent diplomatic stance, officially dismissing local body polls and administrative exercises in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as a complete sham. New Delhi has repeatedly underscored that cosmetic administrative rituals cannot mask the ground realities of systemic political denial or alter the sovereign status of the region.