Pakistan-administered Kashmir election deaths have risen to at least 40 in recent weeks, according to local officials and activists, as unrest over reserved legislative seats and a government crackdown have darkened the run-up to a staggered vote.
Among the dead is 30-year-old education department employee Naqash Zardad, who was at his buffalo farm in Rawalakot when clashes erupted nearby between police and demonstrators. With roads sealed and gunfire reported, a stray bullet struck and killed him instantly, his uncle said. Authorities and activists say 34 of the dead were protesters and six were members of the police and paramilitary forces. Rawalakot has witnessed some of the most intense confrontations.
Critics accuse security forces of excessive force against participants in long marches and rallies organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee, or JAAC, an alliance of activist groups. The group has urged residents to oppose the reservation of 12 seats in the regional assembly for refugees who left Indian-administered Kashmir decades ago. Officials banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws and launched arrests and dispersals, while the group says it is not contesting the election.
The controversy over reserving seats for refugees
The 12 reserved seats, a significant portion of the 53-member legislature, have long stirred debate. The assembly also includes 33 directly elected seats and eight reserved for women and others. The quota for displaced Kashmiris dates to legislation from the 1970s intended to preserve a political voice for people who migrated from Indian-administered Kashmir and settled in Pakistan while hoping for a resolution to the wider dispute.
Many beneficiaries of the reserved seats do not live in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which prevents local residents from standing for those constituencies. JAAC is demanding the reserved seats be abolished, arguing that full representation should be limited to people residing in the territory. Authorities maintain the reservation is essential and have pledged to proceed with elections in three phases, beginning 27 July.
In the 2021 Legislative Assembly election, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won a majority. The party later lost national power in a 2022 no-confidence vote, and the region has since seen four prime ministers in four years. Observers say this year’s outcome is unpredictable.
Private rallies and public violence in Pakistan-administered Kashmir election deaths
In Muzaffarabad, the state capital, residents described an atmosphere of tension and unease ahead of polling. Many were reluctant to speak about the election. Some feared being branded traitors or “facilitators” by JAAC if they backed the vote or particular candidates. Others sympathetic to JAAC worried about harassment by law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
Violence has punctuated the campaign. Vehicles and property linked to candidates have been torched and several candidates assaulted. Authorities have blamed JAAC for the incidents. Campaigning has consequently been muted, with political events often confined to living rooms or small street-corner gatherings and many candidates declining to comment on conditions.
Noreen Arif, the sole female candidate running under the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz banner, said the protest call prompted her to shift to household meetings rather than public rallies. Opposition Pakistan People’s Party candidate Sardar Mukhtar Khan said JAAC’s protest had strong appeal among younger voters, leaving him little choice but to pursue a limited campaign. “An election candidate has to move according to the mood of the people in his constituency,” he said.
Only in the final week did PPP and PML-N leaders stage rallies in the region, a stark departure from past elections. Despite the subdued tone, Pakistan’s minister for Kashmir Affairs, Ameer Muqam, argued that pressing ahead with polls is the only path forward. He said the next government should be chosen by the people to decide the region’s future, not by a small group.
Inside the territory, some argue conditions are not conducive to a credible vote. Zahid Amin, a former head of the Muzaffarabad Development Authority, said any election under current circumstances would lack legitimacy.
Growing calls for investigations
The mounting toll has drawn international attention. On 17 July, UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths among protesters and security personnel linked to the unrest. He also criticised the proscription of JAAC under anti-terrorism laws, warning that criminalising a civil society group and imposing strict limits on assemblies risk infringing freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
India blamed the turmoil on what it called decades of systemic exploitation and denial of fundamental rights. Both India and Pakistan claim all of Kashmir but control only parts, and India regularly accuses Pakistan of fomenting cross-border militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir, which Islamabad denies.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto dismissed India’s statements and urged an amicable resolution. He called for a truth and reconciliation commission and said both JAAC and the authorities share responsibility, asking each to stop harming ordinary people. He noted that mobile and internet services have been suspended for 40 days across the region. While temporary curbs can accompany deteriorating security, he said such a prolonged blackout appears to amount to collective punishment.
Additional reporting by Roohan Ahmed
