- Polling in two PoK districts postponed due to security concerns before August 10 elections
- Poonch and Palandri elections delayed, with new dates to be announced later
- Unrest followed demands to remove 12 reserved legislative seats for migrants
Polling in two districts of disputed Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) has been postponed because of security concerns, the election commission said Friday, days before voting was due to take place.
The third phase of elections was scheduled for August 10, but polling in Poonch and Palandri has been postponed, the commission said.
"A new date and revised schedule will be announced after reviewing the situation," it added.
The postponement comes after unrest was sparked by demands to abolish 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for people who migrated from Jammu and Kashmir.
The movement was led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which the government banned under anti-terrorism laws.
Pakistan's government also instructed international media to seek permission to report outside major cities after foreign news organisations covered protests and elections in PoK.
The information minister and the ministry's external media wing did not immediately respond to AFP's questions about whether the unrest in the Himalayan region had prompted the new guidelines.
Internet restrictions were also reported by digital monitor NetBlocks in the region, which residents said affected voter turnout during the first two phases of the elections.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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