Officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir allege the banned Joint Awami Action Committee and militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban attempted to sabotage phased elections as weeks-long protest camps turned violent. Clashes left one paramilitary officer dead and several security personnel wounded, officials said, and authorities displayed video and detainee statements they say tie suspects to attacks on police. The regional government has banned JAAC, arrested dozens of supporters and pledged operations to restore order while voting continues through Aug. 10.
Banned Group, Militants Accused Of Sabotaging Kashmir Vote As Protests Turn Violent
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday accused the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) of attempting to disrupt elections for the region's constitutional assembly, and said militants linked to the Pakistani Taliban had infiltrated weeks-long protest camps that have marred polling.
The unrest escalated after armed, masked demonstrators at a sit-in opened fire on police and security personnel who were deployed to secure voting, officials said. One paramilitary officer was killed and several other security personnel were wounded, according to regional authorities. There were unconfirmed reports of civilian casualties; officials had not immediately corroborated those reports.
Voting in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, split between India and Pakistan and claimed in full by both countries, began Monday and is being held in phases through Aug. 10. Observers and residents reported low turnout during the opening phase of polling in Mirpur, where several assembly seats were contested.
Officials' Allegations and Evidence
At a Muzaffarabad news conference, government spokesman Mohammad Rashid Hanif alleged the JAAC sought to derail the vote and said a "significant number" of Fitna al-Khawarij — a label used by Islamabad for Pakistani Taliban elements — had joined the protests. Later in Islamabad, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Deputy Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry warned the sit-in was no longer peaceful and pledged action to restore order.
Officials displayed video they said showed masked gunmen firing from rooftops and released recordings of two detained men who appeared to confess to taking part in attacks on security forces. One detainee said he had been paid and instructed to target police and troops; another claimed to belong to an armed faction tied to the JAAC and described firing an M-16 rifle at security personnel.
Security Response And Arrests
Regional deputy police chief Irfan Masood Kashfi said armed militants were carrying Kalashnikovs and that intelligence pointed to the possible use of snipers. Authorities said they arrested dozens of JAAC supporters after the group was recently banned on public order and security grounds. Officials also reported seizing an alleged assault rifle from a suspect in Rawalakot whom they say recently returned from abroad and received sniper training.
Officials' stance: Authorities say security forces acted in self-defense while exercising restraint and will continue operations to disperse camps and protect the integrity of the vote.
The JAAC, formed in 2023, calls for expanded political rights for Kashmiris and elimination of refugee-designated assembly seats, arguing those seats give refugees disproportionate influence. The dispute intensified after the region's Supreme Court ruled in early June that refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed without an amendment.
None of the allegations — including claims of militant infiltration, the circumstances of the clashes, and video evidence presented by officials — have been independently verified. The JAAC did not immediately respond to the accusations.
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