Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir protests explained: Why unrest has erupted over 12 Assembly seats

Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is witnessing its biggest political unrest in years, with weeks of protests, deadly clashes with security forces, an internet shutdown, mass arrests and a fierce debate over democracy, autonomy and political representation.

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The immediate trigger is a dispute over 12 reserved seats in the Legislative Assembly, but analysts say the protests reflect much deeper frustrations over governance, economic conditions and Islamabad's control over the region.

What triggered the latest protests?

The protests are being led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a grassroots coalition of traders, civil society groups and activists.

The immediate dispute centres on 12 seats reserved in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir's Legislative Assembly for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir who settled in different parts of Pakistan after 1947.

The JAAC argues that only people who actually reside in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir should elect representatives to its Assembly.

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As JAAC committee member Kashif Abbasi told Al Jazeera: "This election is meant for people who actually live in AJK. These 12 seats sit outside AJK's jurisdiction. This doesn't happen anywhere else."

The government, however, maintains that the reserved seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif urged protesters to contest the issue politically rather than through street protests, asking: "How could you exclude them from the electoral process?"

Why are the 12 seats so controversial?

Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir's Legislative Assembly has 45 elected seats, 33 of which are elected from constituencies within the territory, and 12 seats are reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir now living in Pakistan.

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The arrangement dates back to the early decades after Partition and was formally incorporated into the 1974 Interim Constitution.

#Watch | Pakistan-occupied Kashmir protests explained: Why unrest has erupted over 12 assembly seats

Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir is witnessing one of its biggest political crises in years. Protests over 12 reserved seats in the Legislative Assembly have escalated into violent… pic.twitter.com/WcVz9sGvFC — Greater Kashmir (@GreaterKashmir) August 1, 2026

How did the protests escalate?

Negotiations between the JAAC and the government collapsed in late May after failing to reach an agreement on the reserved seats.

The authorities responded by banning the JAAC under the Anti-Terrorism Act, suspending internet and mobile services, advising outsiders to stay away from the region, deploying paramilitary forces, and arresting more than 100 activists. The crackdown soon turned violent.

Amnesty International raises alarm

Amnesty International has sharply criticised Pakistan's response, calling the ban on the JAAC unlawful.

Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, said: "Branding a grassroots organization as 'terrorist' on vague grounds, while simultaneously cutting the region off from the outside world, raises serious concerns regarding the Pakistani authorities' conduct and their disregard for human rights. The proscription of JKJAAC under anti-terror laws is disproportionate, unlawful and a violation of the right to freedom of association."

Following deadly clashes, Amnesty added: "The alarming escalation of violence, including deaths of protesters, raises serious questions."

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It urged Pakistani authorities to: "take immediate steps to deescalate the situation and practice restraint and strict adherence to international standards on the use of force."

The protests are about much more than 12 seats

Although the refugee seats dominate the current debate, they are only the latest flashpoint. The JAAC originally emerged in 2023 over soaring electricity prices, flour shortages and broader economic hardship. By late 2025, it had expanded its movement into a 38-point charter of demands that included subsidised electricity and flour, investigations into corruption, improved social welfare, infrastructure development, and the abolition of the 12 reserved Assembly seats.

The unrest has also revived debate over where real political authority lies in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

JAAC, according to its leaders, had written directly to Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir after concluding that its concerns were not reaching him through civilian channels.

The controversy goes beyond electoral arithmetic.

Supporters of the reserved seats say they preserve Pakistan's international position on Kashmir issue and reinforce the claim that Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir represents the entire former princely state.

Critics argue the arrangement undermines democratic representation by allowing people living outside the territory to influence governments formed in Muzaffarabad.

What happens next?

Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir's elections have been conducted in phases amid continuing unrest.

The JAAC has called for a boycott of the polls, while the government insists constitutional questions must be resolved through elected institutions rather than street protests.

For now, the dispute over 12 Assembly seats has become the focal point of a much larger struggle over governance, political representation, regional autonomy and the future direction of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.

Reactions from the Valley

Kashmir's chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq called for an impartial investigation into the killings and urging Pakistan to engage with protesters through dialogue rather than force.

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Addressing a congregation at Srinagar's historic Jama Masjid, the Mirwaiz said he was: “Deeply concerned over the continuing unrest and tragic loss of lives across the Line of Control, particularly in Rawalakot.”

He also led special prayers for those killed in PoK and said: “We are deeply anguished by the continuing unrest and the tragic loss of precious lives during the past month and a half. The truth must be established through a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation. We mourn every life lost, whether that of a civilian protester or a member of the police force, and pray for the speedy recovery of all those injured.”

Calling upon Pakistan to show restraint, the Mirwaiz appealed to Islamabad and the authorities across the Line of Control: “Durable peace and stability can only be achieved through dialogue, constitutional fairness and respect for the rights and dignity of every segment of society.”

Mirwaiz also stressed the shared identity of people on both sides of the Line of Control. “We are one people, bound together by history, family, culture and our common State Subject identity. Whether we live in Srinagar, Muzaffarabad, Birmingham or elsewhere across the world, we remain one people. The LOC has divided the territory, but not our families, our shared history or our collective stake in our destiny,” he said.

He further said that the rights of nearly three million Kashmiri refugees and migrants living across Pakistan's provinces should not become "a matter of political bargaining or exclusion", urging all stakeholders to find a fair and mutually acceptable solution.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also expressed concern over reports of force being used against protesters.

“As far as the situation in that part of Kashmir is concerned, we are all worried,” Abdullah told reporters in Ganderbal.

“The reports coming from there, the way force is being used and innocent people are being targeted — we can only hope that peace is maintained there,” he added.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah criticised New Delhi for what he described as its silence over the situation in PoK.

“If the Government of India considers PoK an integral part of the country, why is it silent? It must raise its voice over the reported killings and hardships faced by people there. I have not heard any statement from them,” he said.

Farooq Abdullah also appealed to the United Nations Human Rights Commission to visit PoK and document the situation there.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti urged Pakistan to abandon the use of force and engage with protesters through dialogue.

“The visuals emerging from across the LoC in the other part of Kashmir are deeply heartbreaking. It is painful to see peaceful protesters being met with brute force. The Government of Pakistan must adopt a more humane approach and choose dialogue over force,” she said in a post on X.

She added: “No nation grows stronger by disempowering its own people or by silencing them at gunpoint. The government must end the crackdown and stop spraying bullets at peaceful protesters. Kashmiris deserve dignity, justice, and the right to be heard, not repression.”