‘Collapsed’: Roadblocks, internet blackout leave Pakistani Kashmir in limbo

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir: The traffic crawled beneath densely strung election bunting. Overhead hung the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PMLN) green tigers. Further down, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) red and black flags bearing the party’s arrow encircled the clock tower at Lal Chowk, a square near Muzaffarabad’s main market, built to honour the original Lal Chowk across the Line of Control in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Srinagar. Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, does not look like a city in the grip of a crisis. It looks like a city preparing for an election. Both are true. Since early June, the territory has witnessed weeks of protests and sit-ins that have killed dozens. The protests are tied to elections for the region’s provincial legislature that were originally scheduled for July 27, but were postponed due to ongoing unrest. Voting in the Mirpur division will proceed as planned on July 27. Elections in the Poonch division, which has been the epicenter of the protests, will now take place on August 10. Voting in Muzaffarabad and for 12 other seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir who now reside elsewhere in Pakistan will occur on August 2. This change was announced by the region’s Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retired) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal, citing security concerns stemming from the unrest as the rationale behind the altered schedule. At the core of the agitation lies the issue of reserved seats for these refugee communities. Protesters demand the abolition of such seats, arguing that only individuals residing within Pakistan-administered Kashmir should be eligible to contest elections for the regional legislature. Amidst these tensions, the region is now moving forward with preparations for the polls. A 60-year-old driver, who asked for anonymity, expressed his stance on the situation. He stated he had never joined the protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), commonly referred to as JAAC. However, he acknowledged sympathy for the movement, noting that many participants are impoverished and fighting for their rights. When it came to the election itself, his position was clear, he would not cast a vote. “We should be part of the democratic process, but the person you want to vote for isn’t allowed on the ballot,” he explained, referencing the JAAC, which was banned in June. “A vote is a responsibility, and it should only be given to those who deserve it. Right now the candidates on offer are all corrupt, and I will not be giving my vote.” The Kashmir region, a scenic yet disputed Himalayan territory, has been central to multiple conflicts between Pakistan and India since both nations gained independence from British rule in 1947. Both countries claim the entire region, though they administer separate portions. Home to over four million residents, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, locally called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), operates under a semi-autonomous government with its own president, prime minister, and Supreme Court. The upcoming election was destined to be influenced by the current crisis, marking the fifth major mobilization of the JAAC since the movement's inception.