Pakistan-administered Kashmir votes amid deadly protests and internet shutdown
Elections for the local legislature proceed with heavy security after weeks of unrest that killed dozens, while major parties face campaign disruptions.
Voting for the local legislature in Pakistan-administered Kashmir began on July 25, with three rounds of polling and heavy security, according to reports. The election follows weeks of protests that left dozens dead.
Around 3.8 million residents were eligible to vote, it was reported. Dozens of people were killed during weeks of protests before the election.
Independent candidate Malik Alauddin told AFP that the internet shutdown created serious difficulties for political candidates and the electoral process, making it much harder to reach voters.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) protest movement demanded the abolishment of 12 reserved seats in the local legislature for those who left the India-administered portion of Kashmir, according to reports. The local government banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws in June, leading to new demonstrations and clashes that killed dozens and arrested hundreds.
Senior PTI leader Khawaja Farooq Ahmed said that with protests, arrests, police raids, criminal cases, and a weeks-long internet shutdown, the environment is not suitable for political parties to ask for votes.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called for internet services to be restored, saying the blackout severely disrupted his party's campaign. Digital monitor Netblocks and residents reported widespread internet restrictions. The government has not confirmed the scale of the outage and said some connections have been restored.
Voting will conclude on Aug 10 in Poonch district, which was the epicentre of the protests, according to reports. The election is seen as an indicator of the performance of Pakistan's major political parties, halfway through the ruling PMLN's five-year term.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif campaigned for PMLN in Muzaffarabad. The PTI party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan is boycotting the election, according to reports.
Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan and has been divided since 1947.
Updates
Electoral authorities have announced that voting will be conducted in three distinct phases for the first time in the region's history, with initial reports suggesting low voter turnout in the Mirpur district. Meanwhile, the death toll from the unrest has been reported at 40 individuals, including 34 protesters and 6 security personnel, while additional clashes on July 27 in Kotli resulted in the death of a political worker. Furthermore, Amnesty International has formally called for an independent investigation into the use of force by security services in Rawalakot, urging authorities to lift the communication restrictions that have been in place since June 5.
The election process has commenced with voting split into three phases, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party has secured 9 of the 13 contested seats in the first round held across Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber. While authorities report one security personnel killed and five injured during Monday's clashes, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims that 30 people have died in the unrest, with leader Sardar Umar Nazir alleging 20 deaths on Monday and at least 10 on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the security forces' use of force and demanded that Pakistani authorities lift the ban imposed on the JAAC on June 5.
The electoral commission has implemented a three-phase voting process for the first time, with the first round in Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber already concluding. In this initial round, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party secured 9 of the 13 contested seats amid widespread allegations of ballot box theft and electoral fraud from opposing parties. Meanwhile, death toll reports remain conflicting; while the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims 30 fatalities during the unrest, Pakistani authorities report one security personnel killed and five others injured during clashes on Monday.
The election process has commenced with voting split into three phases, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party secured nine of the 13 contested seats in the first round held across the Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. While official reports state one security officer was killed and five injured during Monday's clashes, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims the death toll from election unrest has reached at least 30. Furthermore, Amnesty International has formally called for an independent investigation into the use of force by security personnel and urged authorities to lift the ban on the JAAC.
The election process has commenced with voting split into three phases, and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party has secured 9 of the 13 contested seats in the first round held across Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber. Amidst ongoing allegations of ballot box theft and electoral fraud, the death toll remains contested: while official sources report one security personnel killed and five injured, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims that 30 people have died in recent clashes. Additionally, Amnesty International has formally called for an independent investigation into the use of force by security personnel and urged authorities to lift the ban imposed on the JAAC in June.
The electoral commission announced that voting would be split into three phases for the first time, with the first round held in the Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. In this initial round, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party won 9 of the 13 contested seats. Meanwhile, results are being disputed by participating political parties, who have accused one another of electoral fraud and ballot box theft.
The electoral commission announced that voting will be split into three phases for the first time, with the initial round held across Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. In this first phase, the ruling PML-N party secured 9 of the 13 contested seats. Meanwhile, political parties participating in the election have begun disputing the results, accusing one another of electoral fraud and ballot box theft.
The electoral commission announced that voting would be split into three phases for the first time, with the first round held in the Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. In this initial round, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 9 of the 13 contested seats, though political parties have since disputed the results, accusing each other of electoral fraud and ballot box theft. Additionally, while media reports previously cited at least 40 deaths, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims the death toll from the unrest has reached at least 30 people.
The electoral commission announced that voting would be split into three phases for the first time, with the first round held in Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber. While the ruling PML-N party won 9 of the 13 seats contested in this initial round, political parties have since accused each other of electoral fraud and ballot box theft. The second round of voting is scheduled to take place on August 2.
The electoral commission has announced that voting will be split into three phases for the first time, with the first round completed in Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber where the ruling PML-N won 9 of the 13 contested seats. While the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims at least 30 people have been killed, Pakistani authorities reported that one security personnel was killed and five others were injured during Monday's clashes. The second round of voting is now scheduled to take place on August 2.
The electoral commission has announced that voting will be split into three phases for the first time, with the first round held in Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber where the ruling PML-N party won 9 of the 13 contested seats. While the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims at least 30 people have been killed, the second round of voting is scheduled for August 2. Additionally, the local government has categorized the JAAC as an armed group aiming to disrupt elections, while Pakistani authorities justified the crackdown by alleging involvement from India-backed fighters.
The electoral commission announced that voting will be conducted in three phases for the first time, with the first round held in the Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber districts. While the ruling PML-N party won 9 of the 13 seats contested in this initial round, the second round of voting is scheduled for August 2. Meanwhile, local reports regarding casualties remain conflicting; while media previously reported at least 40 deaths, the JAAC claims at least 30 people have been killed during the unrest, even as official reports suggest different figures.
The first phase of voting, held across Mirpur, Kotli, and Bhimber, resulted in the ruling PML-N party winning 9 of the 13 contested seats. While media previously reported at least 40 deaths, the JAAC claims the death toll has reached at least 30, whereas local leader Sardar Umar Nazir reported 20 supporters killed on Monday and 10 more on Tuesday. Additionally, the second round of voting is scheduled for August 2.
