Second phase of PoK assembly voting proceeds amid protests, road blockades and heavy security

On Sunday, Pakistan conducted the second of three phases of legislative assembly elections in the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir region, despite fresh unrest that saw vehicles set ablaze and roads littered with rocks in parts of Muzaffarabad. A layered security arrangement—police, Pakistan Rangers, the Federal Constabulary and about 2,100 army personnel—guarded polling stations as clashes between demonstrators and security forces continued.

The Joint Awami Action Committee, which has been staging protests for nearly two months, demands greater political freedoms, economic reforms and the elimination of 12 seats reserved for refugees, and has chosen to boycott the vote. Two constituencies delayed voting because of the volatile situation, while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the United Nations and Amnesty International have criticized the heavy-handed response, including internet restrictions and the anti-terrorism ban on the JAAC.

India’s external affairs ministry, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, rejected the election as a superficial attempt to mask Pakistan’s illegal occupation and alleged human-rights violations. The election proceeds against a backdrop of sustained regional tension and international scrutiny.