Clashes overshadow AJK elections as unrest in Rawalakot leaves security personnel dead

Rawalakot : Elections and unrest unfolded simultaneously in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as clashes between law enforcement personnel and protesters linked to the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) left several people dead, including three security personnel.

According to an AJK police spokesperson, armed elements opened fire on law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot using automatic weapons. The spokesperson said one Rangers official was martyred, while five personnel, including a police officer, were injured. Separately, the AJK inspector general of police confirmed that two police officials were also killed during the clashes.

The violence coincided with the conclusion of the first phase of AJK Legislative Assembly elections in Mirpur Division, where unofficial results from 13 constituencies showed the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leading on nine seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ahead on four.

Rawalakot, where polling is scheduled to take place in the third and final phase on August 10, has remained tense since protesters linked to the banned JKJAAC launched a long march towards Muzaffarabad after negotiations with the government failed.

The committee emerged in 2023 with a 38-point charter of demands. While the government accepted several demands, including reductions in flour and electricity prices, following a long march in May 2024, other issues remained unresolved, including electoral reforms, the withdrawal of elite privileges and the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees.

A second long march was announced for June 9, but tensions escalated after an attack on a core committee member days before the planned protest. Subsequent clashes between demonstrators and security forces reportedly resulted in nearly 30 deaths, after which protesters continued sit-ins across Rawalakot. The group’s demands later expanded to include lifting the ban on the committee, compensation for the families of those killed and the withdrawal of cases against protesters.

Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the latest violence in Rawalakot.

The banned committee claimed that law enforcement personnel opened fire and used tear gas shelling against protesters as they moved towards the city. Police rejected the allegations, accusing the committee’s social media network of circulating fabricated and edited videos to incite unrest and spread misinformation against state institutions.

JKJAAC core member Omar Nazir Kashmiri claimed on social media that protesters were unarmed and alleged that 25 people, including his brother, had been killed during the operation. Another committee member, Abid Shaheen, made similar claims while speaking to media.

Police and civil administration officials disputed those allegations, stating that they had not received any bodies or medical records to support the reported casualty figures. The competing claims could not be independently verified.

A local journalist said verification remained difficult because of the area’s remote location and the challenges associated with reporting from the disputed region.

A television correspondent also reported clashes between JKJAAC supporters and law enforcement personnel in Mirpur, where firing created panic and forced shops and markets to close.

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Federal and AJK government officials accused the banned committee of carrying weapons and attempting to destabilise the region.

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah described the protest as an attack on democracy and the Kashmir cause, comparing the march on Muzaffarabad to “an attack by India”.

AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif alleged that the banned committee attempted to disrupt the democratic process after polling concluded successfully in Mirpur Division. He claimed the group failed to discourage voter participation and later sought to challenge the state’s authority by spreading unrest and misinformation. Hanif further alleged that armed protesters used civilians and children as human shields while circulating fake videos and exaggerated casualty figures.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, addressing a joint press conference with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said anti-democratic forces had tried to sabotage the election process and, after failing, had shifted “from ballot to bullet”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the violence could have been avoided through meaningful dialogue with protesters and also criticised the suspension of internet services in the region.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, ruled out negotiations with the banned committee, accusing it of acting in India’s interests and describing its members as enemies of Pakistan.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman condemned the violence against Kashmiris, saying the Kashmir cause was being damaged. He questioned the repeated branding of protesters as foreign agents and called on authorities to end the violence and allow peaceful demonstrations.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association also expressed concern over the loss of lives in Rawalakot and other parts of AJK, urging the authorities to protect citizens and resolve the crisis through peaceful negotiations.