Naveed Ahmad Khan
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is set to go to the polls beginning July 27, 2026, in an election overshadowed by weeks of unrest, a controversial ban on a civil rights alliance, and a boycott by one of Pakistan’s major political parties.
The AJK government formally banned the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on June 5, 2026, declaring it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Authorities accused the group of involvement in “potential violence, acquisition of weapons, attacks on law-enforcement personnel, and plans to disrupt normal life.” JAAC has strongly denied these allegations, maintaining that its movement for rights has remained peaceful throughout.
The roots of the unrest lie in a dispute over 12 seats in the 45-seat AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir who migrated to Pakistan after the 1947 partition. JAAC had called for the abolition of these seats and organized a strike on June 9 to press its demands. Following the ban, thousands of JAAC supporters set up sit-ins on the outskirts of Rawalakot, roughly 100 kilometers south of Muzaffarabad, vowing to continue their protest. The subsequent weeks saw clashes between protesters and law enforcement that reportedly left around 30 people dead, disrupted campaigning, and shuttered businesses across the region.
Amid this backdrop, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced on July 3 that it would not participate in the AJK elections. The party’s Central Information Secretary, Sheikh Waqas Akram, said the decision reflected “unwavering solidarity” with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and their democratic rights, describing it as a principled stance rather than a political strategy. PTI called for the JAAC issue to be resolved through dialogue and urged authorities to address the group’s demands fairly.
With PTI out of the race, the electoral contest has largely narrowed to a competition between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the two parties expected to dominate the Legislative Assembly seats up for grabs.
Despite the unrest, AJK’s Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Ghulam Mustafa Mughal has repeatedly affirmed that the elections will proceed as scheduled, describing postponement as constitutionally untenable. The Election Commission has since revised the polling schedule into three phases: Mirpur Division votes on July 27 as originally planned, Muzaffarabad Division and the 12 refugee-reserved seats will vote on August 2, and Poonch Division will go to the polls on August 10.
To ensure security, authorities have deployed police, paramilitary forces, and army personnel across polling areas. Mughal has stated that all administrative and logistical preparations, including printing of ballot papers and distribution of election material, have been completed.
As AJK approaches this politically charged election, questions remain over how the JAAC ban, the security situation, and PTI’s absence will shape both voter turnout and the credibility of the process in the eyes of the public.
