Published: 01:34 AM, 15 September 2026
A volatile PoJK
Amid the ongoing trouble in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) which has claimed nearly 100 lives in the past one and a half month, evidence is now emerging that Pakistan security forces have unleashed new wave of terror by resorting to firing targeting the mob.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif repeated his controversial remarks by justifying Pakistani ceaseless and ruthless crackdown on the protestors. More disturbing is his statement that he found the agitators same as “enemies like India”. Such an irresponsible and brazen remark came in the wake of in the renewed violence in the Rawalakot area of PoJK where 32 protestors were killed by firing. The Defence Minister also posted his views on the social media, and rather shamelessly.
It may be recalled that most of those killed were activists connected with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) an outfit which Pakistan had banned for calling out Human Rights violence in the region. Videos being shown about the brutality of Pakistani forces as locals ran to save themselves are prominently seen including bodies lying strewn on the roads. The locals who were killed had come out on roads in large numbers expressing their ire. Other areas affected in violence include Mirpur, Sarsoha Panjhera Sehnsa, and other sensitive places.
On its part, Pakistan condemned (July 27) in the strongest possible terms the alleged highly provocative and irresponsible comments by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and was extensively reported in the largely read Pakistani daily “ The Express Tribune”. The allegation goes on to say that the statement not only distorts facts regarding the UN and internationally “recognized” Jammu and Kashmir dispute that remains on the agenda of the UN Security Council but also shows Indian government’s deliberate policy to threaten regional and international peace and security. This was articulated by Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi. However, such statement falls short of any credibility.
Analyzing the ongoing disturbing developments in PoJK, it is perhaps important to go through its background. First, the general election 2026 is taking place under overhang of violent protests organized by the now defunct JAAC. Although the ongoing agitation is the fourth wave of such protests, it seems to be the most violent and severe. According to an article in the “Dawn” dated 26 July, a number of fatalities among both the civilians and law-enforcement personnel is just one aspect of the crisis. Although the JAAC has now been declared unlawful under the anti-terrorism law and some of its leaders have been arrested, and despite the fact that at least a part of the leadership adopted a very irresponsible and extremist posture, it is difficult to deny that the JAAC and its 30-point people centric and anti-elite charter of demands drew a large segment of the young PoJK population including the youth(particularly its Gen-Z component). This is very well covered in the “Dawn”.
Second, the election is being conducted in the absence of two of the most popular groups. The defunct JAAC is not among the registered political parties of PoJK and therefore not contesting. Some of its leaders and members tried to submit their nomination papers for the election as independent candidates but these were not accepted on one pretext or the other. The other popular entity that is not contesting is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which has decided to boycott the election as they see no prospect of a free and fair election. It may be recalled that in the PoJK elections of 2021, the PTI had secured the largest share (31.4 percent) of the votes and had formed the government. PoJK’s anti-defection law is not as stringent as it is in Pakistan, and, following the PTI’s ouster, many PTI legislators in PoJK joined other parties. Consequently, the PTI government was ousted from PoJK as well. The absence of these two popular forces will likely impact the legitimacy and representative character of the legislative assembly.
In a related development, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said (July 27) that the ongoing PoJK Legislative Assembly elections were among the most significant in the region’s political history, stressing that only a free, fair and transparent electoral process could produce a credible government capable of addressing the challenges faced by the people. Addressing a party gathering here on the day of polling in the first phase of the PoJK elections in Mirpur Division, Bilawal expressed confidence in his party’s candidates and campaign, claiming that the PPP had presented a distinct political vision compared to its rivals. Bilawal described the PoJK elections as a defining democratic exercise and said that an election of such importance should be conducted in a manner that leaves no room for controversy.
Further, Bilawal said his party had repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the handling of refugee seats before the elections and questioned the decision to hold the pools in three phases. He also criticized the sequence in which the phases were scheduled, saying such decisions had generated doubts about the fairness of the electoral process. Bilawal also highlighted what he described as a growing disconnect between PoJK’s youth and the political system, stressing that political challenges could only be resolved through dialogue, democratic engagement and a meaningful debate. This statement merits a closer look.
PoJK is already showing signs of a high degree of volatility and a kind of uncertainty. Local population seem restive and directionless. Any wrong or provocative move by the Pakistani security or political establishment may incur the wrath of the local population and things may then turn out of control.
Shantanu Mukharji is a retired IPS officer
and former National Security
Adviser in Mauritius.
