‘PoK Polls Held At Gunpoint’: Awami Action Committee Says Pakistan Military Rigged Election Process | Exclusive

Published 2 August 2026 · politics

‘PoK Polls Held At Gunpoint’: Awami Action Committee Says Pakistan Military Rigged Election Process | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 16:39 IST

‘PoK Polls Held At Gunpoint’: Awami Action Committee Says Pakistan Military Rigged Election Process | Exclusive Reported By, Last Updated: August 02, 2026, 16:39 IST PoK Polls: Awami Action Committee member Umar Nazir Kashmiri claimed that large sections of the population had already boycotted the elections Rapid Read Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a leader of the Awami Action Committee. (News18) As the second phase of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Legislative Assembly elections continues, the Awami Action Committee (AAC) has levelled serious allegations against Pakistan’s military, claiming the electoral exercise is being conducted “at gunpoint" and lacks democratic credibility. Speaking to CNN-News18, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a leader of the Awami Action Committee, said the organisation would not accept what he described as an “election drama in the name of democracy".

“The Awami Action Committee is not against the democratic process, but we will not allow fraud in the name of elections," Umar Nazir Kashmiri said, adding that the group has consistently demanded free, fair and transparent elections in PoK. He alleged that, instead of ensuring a level playing field, Pakistan’s military was overseeing the electoral process through coercive means. According to him, nearly “95 per cent of genuine Kashmiri representatives" had been prevented from contesting the elections, raising serious questions over the credibility of the poll process. CNN-News18 has not independently verified this claim. Referring to the first phase of polling, Umar Nazir Kashmiri claimed that large sections of the PoK population had already boycotted the elections and asserted that similar calls for a boycott were gaining momentum during the ongoing second phase.

The Awami Action Committee also demanded comprehensive political and institutional reforms in PoK, saying governance structures across the region require reorganisation to ensure greater public participation and accountability. Reiterating the organisation’s objectives, Umar Nazir Kashmiri said the AAC would continue its movement for “Haq-e-Hukamrani" (Right to Self-Governance) and “Haq-e-Malkeet" (Right to Ownership), while reaffirming its commitment to restoring the rights of the people through what it described as genuine participatory democracy. Pakistan’s authorities have maintained that the PoK Assembly elections are being conducted in accordance with the law under appropriate security arrangements. There was no immediate official response to the allegations made by the Awami Action Committee. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: August 02, 2026, 16:34 IST News world ‘PoK Polls Held At Gunpoint’: Awami Action Committee Says Pakistan Military Rigged Election Process | Exclusive Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s.