Deadly clashes between protesters and security forces have pushed Pakistan-administered Kashmir, officially known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), into one of its most serious political crises in recent years, exposing deep divisions over governance, representation and regional autonomy, according to Al Jazeera news.
At least 11 people were killed and more than 70 injured after violence erupted during demonstrations led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a grassroots alliance of traders and civil society groups. Authorities said four police officers and a passer-by were among the dead, while six protesters also lost their lives. Dozens of security personnel and demonstrators were injured in the unrest.
The latest tensions were triggered by a long-running dispute over 12 seats reserved in AJK’s Legislative Assembly for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir who settled in other parts of Pakistan after the partition of 1947. The JAAC argues that these seats should be abolished and that all elected representatives should be residents of AJK itself.
The controversy comes ahead of legislative elections scheduled for July 27. While protesters see the reserved seats as an outdated arrangement that limits local representation, supporters insist they are constitutionally protected and remain essential to Pakistan’s position on the wider Kashmir dispute.
The crisis escalated after the AJK government formally banned the JAAC under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2014, accusing the organisation of creating unrest and threatening public order. JAAC leaders rejected the allegations, claiming the government was using force to suppress a legitimate political movement.
Adding to the pressure, the Supreme Court of AJK recently ruled that the reserved seats are protected under the region’s constitutional framework and can only be removed through a constitutional amendment. The decision effectively closed the legal route for challenging the arrangement and intensified calls for protest.
The current unrest, however, extends far beyond the dispute over assembly seats. Analysts say it reflects years of frustration over economic hardship, governance issues and demands for greater accountability. The JAAC first gained prominence in 2023 during protests against soaring electricity bills, wheat shortages and allegations of corruption. In 2024, a protest march toward Muzaffarabad turned violent, leaving several people dead.
The movement later expanded its demands through a 38-point charter calling for economic relief, welfare measures, infrastructure development, investigations into corruption and political reforms. While some demands have reportedly been addressed, key issues remain unresolved.
In a dramatic escalation, the AJK government has now announced a reward of Rs10 million for information leading to the arrest of four prominent JAAC leaders: Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Mehran Arshad Khawaja and Sardar Aman. Authorities have promised confidentiality for informants and ordered police to intensify efforts to apprehend the men.
As internet restrictions continue and political tensions rise, the confrontation has evolved into more than a dispute over seats in the assembly. It has become a wider struggle over who speaks for AJK’s people and how the region’s future should be shaped. With elections approaching, the crisis threatens to deepen an already fragile political landscape in the disputed Himalayan territory.
