1 month ago
PoK Elections Spark Violence Over Refugee Seats
The second part of the elections in the area of Kashmir that Pakistan controls happened on August 2, 2026.
People were angry because 12 seats in the assembly are for refugees who left Kashmir in 1947, but the local voters don’t choose those seats.
A group called JAAC has been shouting for changes and has been met with police violence.
About 40 civilians died in the last week.
Pakistan says India is helping the protests, but India says it isn’t.
The elections were split into three parts because of security worries.
The government says the refugee seats can only be removed by changing the constitution.
The United Nations wants an independent investigation into the killings.
Second phase of PoK elections held Aug 2 amid violent crackdown and rigging allegations.
12 seats reserved for 1947 refugees, not voted by PoK residents, are central to JAAC protests.
Roughly 40 civilians killed in last week; India condemns force, UN calls for probe.
Pakistan claims India backs JAAC; India denies involvement.
Elections split into three phases due to security concerns; 45 seats contested plus 12 refugee seats.
- Who
- Pakistani government, PML‑N, PPP, JAAC, refugees
- What
- PoK elections, protests, and violent crackdown
- Where
- Pakistan‑Occupied Kashmir
- When
- August 2, 2026
- Why
- Dispute over 12 refugee seats and political representation
Key facts
- Election Date
- August 2, 2026
- Seats Contested
- 45 (plus 12 refugee seats)
- Key Issue
- 12 refugee seats
- Violent Incidents
- 40+ deaths in last week
- Main Protest Group
- Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC)
Quotes
Analyst Ayesha Siddiqa
Senior Fellow at King’s College, London, from Pakistan
“The civil society had been raising its voice for rights and representations earlier too, but the formation of the JAAC gave it a unified platform. Something changed after 2019, when India revoked Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan did little to oppose it. In PoK, the future had always been tied to the eventual resolution of the Kashmir issue. But after 2019, people started questioning the limbo. They argued that if they are tied to Pakistan, they should be governed better by Pakistan.”
indianexpress.com
“This is possibly because Pakistan’s internal security apparatus is greatly stretched this summer given the situations in Balochistan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and given the continuing standoff with Afghanistan. Whatever the reason, the situation is a major embarrassment at the very least, and also a blow to Pakistan’s self‑perception about Kashmir.”
indianexpress.com
Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee
Senior Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs
“What is being witnessed in PoK is very much part of Pakistan’s pattern of repression, whether in Kashmir or Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Earlier too, PoK has witnessed crackdowns after protests over the Mangla dam or over energy subsidy.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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