Speaking to the media, Sanaullah said the elections were being held after the AJK and federal governments agreed to give protesters sufficient time to reconsider their position. Sanaullah said the completion of the third phase would pave the way for government formation in AJK. According to Sanaullah, polling in Haveli and Bagh began at 8 am and continued peacefully. Sanaullah said law-enforcement agencies were fully prepared and that the Quick Response Force was providing additional security throughout the electoral process. Muqam expressed surprise at the opposition’s repeated allegations of electoral rigging and questioned what it hoped to achieve through such claims.