PoK election clashes intensify as JAAC pushes Muzaffarabad march

Islamabad,UPDATED: Jul 30, 2026 16:34 IST

Tensions continued in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Thursday as clashes went on between security forces and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in the Rawalkot region, amid ongoing regional elections in the area. The unrest, which has claimed several lives this week, comes as JAAC-backed demonstrators remain determined to march towards Muzaffarabad to press Islamabad to accept their demands.

The JAAC, a collective of activist groups, has been holding demonstrations for nearly two months over 12 contentious seats in the so-called legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It has alleged that the establishment manipulates these seats to install a prime minister of its choice.

India has described the elections as an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and conceal its "grave" human rights violations in the region. "India's position on this matter has been clear, consistent, and well known. The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, including the areas currently under Pakistan's illegal and forcible occupation, are integral and inalienable parts of India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in Delhi on Tuesday.

"As we have stated earlier, the ongoing mass protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir are the direct consequences of Pakistan's economic exploitation, its denial of the people's fundamental rights, and its administrative oppression," he said.

In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, clashes between security forces and protesters have intensified since Monday, especially in Rawalkot and Mirpur, where the highest casualties were reported. According to the JAAC, at least 37 men have lost their lives in the clashes. "The number of those injured remains unknown. Amid heavy gunfire, our people have continued to stand peacefully and unarmed. God willing, our peaceful struggle against oppression and injustice will continue," it said in a statement.

However, the Pakistan government denied any civilian deaths, saying militants of the banned Tehrik-e Taliban were present among the protesters and that the crackdown against them would continue. "We will not talk to the protesters and law will take its course," Pakistan's State Minister for Interior Affairs Talal Chaudhary said.

Amnesty and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan have expressed concern over reports of violence in the region and called on the authorities to investigate the incidents. The clashes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have continued alongside the elections, with the JAAC pressing its demands and the Pakistan government maintaining its crackdown.

With PTI Inputs

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