Phased AJK polls begin under heavy security after weeks of unrest
Phased election comes after prolonged anti-government unrest, with PTI boycotting vote and banned JAAC remaining outside electoral process
MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan-administered Kashmir (MNTV) — Voting began Monday in the first phase of Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) general election, with polling underway in 13 constituencies of Mirpur division under tight security.
The vote follows weeks of deadly unrest surrounding the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a protest movement the government banned under anti-terrorism law, and whose confrontation with security forces left several people dead in circumstances that remain disputed.
Polls in Mirpur division are being held on Monday, followed by Muzaffarabad division and the 12 refugee constituencies on Aug. 2, and Poonch division on Aug. 10.
Poonch division, particularly Rawalakot, has been the epicenter of recent anti-government protests, prompting authorities to schedule voting there in the final phase.
The staggered timetable is also expected to provide additional time for any easing of tensions before polling in the most volatile areas.
The election unfolds against the backdrop of the fourth and most intense wave of JAAC-led protests, which have resulted in deaths among civilians and security personnel.
Authorities declared the movement unlawful under anti-terrorism legislation earlier this year and detained several of its leaders.
JAAC’s rise
The Joint Awami Action Committee emerged as a grassroots movement in May 2023 over electricity tariffs and subsidized wheat shortages before evolving into a broader civil society coalition of traders, lawyers and transporters.
Its protests intensified in May 2024, when a march toward Muzaffarabad ended in deadly clashes that prompted Islamabad to announce a multibillion-rupee relief package.
The movement later crystallized into its campaign around a 38-point charter of demands, including governance reforms and opposition to a proposal to abolish 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees.
Following renewed unrest ahead of the election, the AJK government designated the JAAC a proscribed organization in June, making its demands a defining issue in the current political environment.
PPP, PML-N dominate campaign
With the JAAC barred from participating and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) boycotting the election, the campaign has largely become a contest between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif both campaigned extensively in Mirpur division before polling, underscoring the national political significance of the election.
The JAAC is not a registered political party and therefore could not formally contest the election. Individuals associated with the movement sought to run as independents but alleged their nomination papers were rejected.
The PTI, which emerged as the largest party in the 2021 AJK election with about 31.4% of the vote and subsequently formed the government, has boycotted the polls, arguing that conditions do not permit a free and fair election.
Following the party’s loss of power in Islamabad, defections by several PTI lawmakers in AJK led to the collapse of its regional government.
The absence of both the JAAC and PTI is expected to shape voter participation and the political legitimacy of the next legislative assembly.
Tight security
Polling began at 8 a.m. and will continue until 5 p.m. Monday. Authorities declared a public holiday in Bhimber, Mirpur and Kotli districts to facilitate voting.
According to the Election Commission, 288 candidates are contesting the first phase at 2,316 polling stations, including 1,241 classified as highly sensitive and 724 as sensitive.
Security has been organized through 13 zones and 205 sectors, with 18,560 police and other law enforcement personnel deployed under a three-tier security plan.
On Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd.) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal urged more than 1.4 million registered voters to cast their ballots and warned that anyone attempting to disrupt polling would face legal action.
His appeal came after the banned JAAC announced on social media that it planned a march from Mirpur division toward Muzaffarabad, although the proposed mobilization did not materialize.
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