Security concerns have forced the Election Commission of Azad Jammu and Kashmir to delay voting for government employees in six constituencies across Poonch and Sudhnoti districts. The employee polling, originally scheduled for July 20, was meant to allow officials assigned election duties to cast ballots at district headquarters ahead of the general election on July 27. Main Developments According to Election Commission sources, a majority of polling staff in the two districts reported they could not reach their designated headquarters because of the deteriorating security environment. Rawalakot, the Poonch district headquarters, has been under curfew since early last month due to ongoing sit-ins by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee on the city's outskirts. In Sudhnoti district, the situation remains tense after a violent outbreak on Tuesday that left at least seven people dead. The commission has not set a new date for the employee polling, leaving it postponed indefinitely. Read also: 3 legal challenges to Pakistan's daily fuel pricing mechanism Background The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which organized the sit-ins, was banned under anti-terror laws by the local government days before a June 9 rally in Muzaffarabad. The group's activities have since escalated tensions across the region. Additionally, polling in the LA-24 (Sudhnoti-II) constituency was already cancelled after the death of independent candidate Zahid Yasin earlier this week. Why It Matters The postponement disrupts the election schedule for thousands of government employees assigned to manage the July 27 general election. Their inability to vote could affect turnout and the legitimacy of the process in Poonch and Sudhnoti. The violence and curfew also raise broader questions about the security apparatus's capacity to hold free and fair elections in contested areas. What's Next The Election Commission has announced a revised schedule for the LA-24 constituency. Nomination papers from new candidates will be accepted by the returning officer at the Pallandri district headquarters on July 21, with scrutiny set for July 22. No timeline has been given for resuming the employee polling or for addressing the security situation in Poonch and Sudhnoti.