Pakistan-administered Kashmir elections and protests – all you need to know

Published 3 August 2026 · politics

Protests over refugee seats have turned deadly, forcing staggered elections under an internet blackout and calls for poll boycott. Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its worst

Protests over refugee seats have turned deadly, forcing staggered elections under an internet blackout and calls for poll boycott. Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its worst political crisis in years after weeks of protests demanding electoral reforms turned deadly. The protests forced staggered regional elections, with the second of the three-phase vote held on Sunday amid calls for a boycott by local activists and a shutdown of businesses in Muzaffarabad, the region’s main city, and other places. The third and final round of voting is scheduled for August 10. The protests are led by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a banned group pushing for changes to electoral laws and more economic concessions for the region. The epicentre of the protests is Rawalakot, the headquarters of the Poonch division in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), one of the two regions that comprise Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the other being Gilgit-Baltistan. The AJK region has its own legislature, but it is not a full-fledged province within Pakistan because of the dispute over the Kashmir territory with neighbouring India. Muzaffarabad, AJK’s capital, is about 30km (18.5 miles) from the Line of Control, the de facto border dividing Kashmir between Pakistan and India. Residents and local estimates say the death toll has surpassed 50, including seven law enforcement personnel. No official figures have been released. Protest leaders claim more than 60 civilians have died in less than two months. There has been a partial internet blackout since June 5, according to NetBlocks, an independent observer. According to iVerify, the fact-checking wing at the Center of Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) in Karachi, telecommunications are limited and internet connectivity is sparse in AJK. Protesters are demanding more political rights and an end to policies they believe undermine local representation in the legislature. The government says the movement is threatening public order in the region. Lieutenant-General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, director-general of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of Pakistan’s army, on Friday told a news conference that “Kashmiris hold a special place in Pakistan’s heart” and accused vested interests in India of attempting to create unrest.

New Delhi has rejected the allegation. Chaudhry said the state has the sole authority to use force and that violence by any group was unacceptable. He said the government was exercising “wisdom and restraint” in maintaining peace and stability. During his press conference, Chaudhry did not mention the number of civilian casualties in the region. What’s happening in AJK? Though the protests started in June, their foundation was laid the month before. Here is a timeline Late May 2026: Talks between JAAC and the government in Muzaffarabad collapse over demands to abolish 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly. The seats in the legislature are reserved for Kashmiri refugees who migrated to Pakistan after 1947 and now live outside the region. The JAAC says the arrangement allows Pakistan-based political parties to influence the government of Pakistan-administered Kashmir while diverting development funds intended for the region. June 5: Authorities designate JAAC a “proscribed organisation” under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014. Internet and mobile services are suspended across the region, and officials advise nonresidents not to travel to AJK between June 5 and June 20, urging tourists already there to leave. June 7: The AJK Supreme Court rules that the 12 refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment. June 8: Clashes erupt between protesters and security forces in Rawalakot and nearby areas. Regional authorities and local media report that 11 people are killed and several injured, including protesters and security personnel. Federal paramilitary forces are deployed across the region. June 9: JAAC calls a regionwide general strike. Markets, schools and public transport shut down across much of AJK. Mid-June: Weeks of strikes, sit-ins and clashes continue in Poonch division, as the death toll crosses 20. JAAC protests in Rawalakot and nearby areas, while the rest of the AJK remains tense but calm. July 21: The AJK Election Commission announces a revised three-phase election schedule in response to the unrest. Voting is announced for July 27 in Mirpur division, August 2 in Muzaffarabad division and for the 12 disputed refugee seats, and on August 10 in Poonch division.