The capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, is seeing a fragile return to daily life as the prominent Madina Market reopens after weeks of intense unrest. In Mirpur, the region’s second-largest city, public transit within the city has started running again, enabling residents to travel between the territory and Pakistan. Yet despite these signs of normalization, a heavily reinforced security presence remains highly visible across the area.
This tentative calm follows three months of severe turmoil surrounding the region's general elections, held from July 27 to August 10, during which at least 80 people were killed. The election process was widely condemned due to widespread allegations of pre-poll manipulation and voting day irregularities designed to favor established political factions. Ultimately, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)—the same parties leading the coalition government in Islamabad—emerged as the winners.
Many local residents viewed the democratic exercise with deep skepticism. Tariq Rehman, a schoolteacher from Kotli, described the elections as a sham, asserting that no candidates genuinely interested in local welfare participated, and claiming that the votes ultimately served the interests of the Pakistani military.
The military establishment in Pakistan has held arbitrary control over this section of Kashmir since the 1947 partition of the subcontinent, which split the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Both nuclear-armed nations claim the entire territory and have fought multiple wars over it. Following India's 2019 decision to revoke Article 370 and strip Indian-administered Kashmir of its special status, Pakistani official and military sources have indicated plans to mainstream their administered territory, effectively turning the Line of Control into an international border.
This geopolitical maneuvering has left locals in a state of political limbo, struggling with their identity and relationship with Pakistan. Mir Hamza, an artisan from Muzaffarabad who witnessed security forces firing on demonstrators, questioned why people are being killed simply for demanding a voice in their own future. He expressed determination to continue the struggle for basic human rights, noting that his cousin remains in the blockaded city of Rawalakot.
In Rawalakot, a continuous sit-in has prompted authorities to isolate the city, blocking media access and enforcing internet blackouts. New regulations also mandate a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for any news reporting. This censorship has targeted both local and international outlets, including the Urdu publication Daily Jeddojehad, which has been reporting on the casualties of the state crackdown. Farooq Sulehria, the editor of Jeddojehad, recounted how security forces raided his home in Pakistan and detained three of his family members, accusing his writings of being anti-national. Sulehria, who was in London at the time, avoided arrest but remains unable to return home. He described the state's actions as an unprecedented effort to silence dissent on social media and control the narrative.
The crackdown has primarily targeted the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a movement that has mobilized locals since September 2023. The JAAC has demanded local control over regional resources, addressing issues such as high electricity and commodity prices, alongside governance reforms. A key political demand is the abolition of the 12 legislative seats reserved for muhajirs (immigrants from Indian-administered Kashmir) out of the assembly's 53 total seats. Critics and JAAC members argue that because these representatives often live outside the territory, the arrangement dilutes local representation and serves as a tool for military control.
In response, the Pakistani government has declared the JAAC a terrorist organization, filed sedition charges against its members, and offered bounties for information leading to their arrest. Many activists, including Mir, have been detained, while others have gone into hiding.
While the JAAC has broad local backing, some residents express frustration over the economic fallout. Mohammed Iqbal, a restaurant owner in Chakswari, noted that the violence and internet shutdowns severely harmed his business, leaving him skeptical of the group's motives. Even critics within the government acknowledge that most of the JAAC's demands align with public sentiment. Chaudhary Muhammad Saeed, a PML-N leader who lost his legislative seat in Mirpur, questioned the wisdom of continuing to protest over seat reservations after other demands were met. Saeed noted that voter turnout dropped to 50 percent from the typical 60 percent, but argued that the primary need of the region is financial stability rather than political upheaval.
