Three security personnel killed as AJK elections proceed amid Rawalakot unrest

WEB DESK: Elections and unrest unfolded side by side in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as clashes between law enforcement personnel and protesters linked to the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) left several people dead, including three security personnel.

According to an AJK police spokesperson, armed elements opened fire on law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot using automatic weapons. The spokesperson said one Rangers official was martyred, while five personnel, including a police officer, were injured. Separately, the AJK inspector general of police told Arab News by phone that two police officials had also been killed during clashes with protesters in Rawalakot.

Violence was reported as the first phase of AJK elections concluded in Mirpur Division, where, according to unofficial results from 13 constituencies, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was leading on nine seats, while the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was ahead on four.

Rawalakot, where polling is scheduled to take place in the third and final phase on August 10, has remained tense since protesters linked to the banned JKJAAC began a long march towards Muzaffarabad. The march was announced after talks between the committee and government representatives failed on Saturday. Protesters from Mirpur and Rawalakot divisions have joined the mobilisation.

The committee first emerged in 2023 with a 38-point charter of demands. Several demands, including reductions in flour and electricity prices, were accepted by the government after a long march in May 2024. However, other demands remained unresolved, including the withdrawal of elite privileges, electoral reforms and the abolition of 12 seats reserved for refugees.

Another long march was announced for June 9, but the situation deteriorated four days earlier after a core committee member was attacked while returning from a public gathering. Subsequent clashes between protesters and security forces reportedly led to nearly 30 deaths, after which protesters continued sit-ins at several points in Rawalakot. Their demands later expanded to include the withdrawal of the ban on the committee, compensation for families of those killed and the cancellation of cases registered against protesters.

Conflicting claims over Rawalakot violence

The banned committee has claimed that law enforcement personnel opened fire and used shelling when protesters moved towards Rawalakot city. Police have denied the allegations, saying the committee’s social media handlers were circulating “fabricated and edited videos” to mislead the public, incite unrest and create hatred against state institutions.

JKJAAC core member Omar Nazir Kashmiri claimed on Facebook that protesters were unarmed and had come out for their rights, but were subjected to a crackdown. He claimed that 25 people, including his brother, were killed in firing. Another core member, Abid Shaheen, made a similar claim while speaking to Arab News.

Police and administrative officials, however, rejected the committee’s claims, saying the deaths could not be confirmed because authorities had not ‘received’ any bodies or medical records of injured persons. The claims made by both sides could not be independently verified.

According to a local journalist in Rawalakot, verification remains difficult because the area is remote and disputed, where standard reporting and documentation practices are often harder to follow than in urban centres.

A HUM News correspondent also reported clashes between JKJAAC supporters and law enforcement personnel in Mirpur, where firing was heard. The incident spread fear in the area and led to the closure of shops and markets.

Federal government representatives have also accused the banned committee of being armed and spreading unrest in AJK. Prime Minister’s adviser on political affairs, Rana Sanaullah described the protest as being against democracy and the Kashmir freedom movement, saying the march on Muzaffarabad was similar to “an attack by India”.

Azad Kashmir Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif alleged that the banned committee and ‘armed elements’ tried to sabotage the democratic process after polling in Mirpur Division was successfully completed. He said the group failed to keep people away from elections and later attempted to challenge the state’s writ in Rawalakot by spreading unrest and misinformation. Hanif claimed the protesters were no longer peaceful but had become armed terrorists, urging uninvolved participants to distance themselves. He alleged civilians and children were used as human shields, while fake videos and exaggerated casualty figures were circulated to mislead the public.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, addressing a press conference with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said “anti-democratic forces” had tried to sabotage the election process in AJK and, after failing, had turned from “ballot to bullet”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing the workers today in Muzaffarabad also referred to the situation, stating that had there been proper dialogue with the protesters, there would not have been a need to opt for violence. He also condemned the internet shutdown in the region. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, however, ruled out the possibility of dialogue with the action committee. Speaking to the media, he said he did not think there would be talks and accused the committee of being aligned with India, calling its members “enemies of Pakistan”.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman condemned what he called firing and violence against the Kashmiri people. He said the Kashmir cause was being damaged and claimed that the people of Kashmir had rejected “rigged elections”. He questioned how long those demanding rights would continue to be labelled foreign agents and urged the state to stop violence and allow people the right to peaceful protest.

The Sindh High Court Bar Association also expressed concern over the loss of lives in Rawalakot and other parts of AJK, urging the authorities to protect citizens and resolve the matter through peaceful negotiations.