Pakistan's ruling party has secured a commanding lead in elections for the legislative assembly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, according to results from the first two phases of voting. Candidates backed by the Pakistan Muslim League-N party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, have won 24 out of 34 seats decided so far.
Turnout exceeded 56% in the regional capital, and more than 50% in many other areas, including Muzaffarabad, despite security concerns and calls for a boycott. The remaining 11 seats are scheduled for election on August 10.
The Pakistan Muslim League-N is poised to form the next regional government, marking its return to power in the region after a decade. Sharif congratulated the winning candidates in a statement.
The elections were conducted in three phases due to security concerns and heavy monsoon rains, which had hindered campaigning and large outdoor rallies.
The election campaign was overshadowed by weeks of protests led by the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The group has urged residents not to vote, leading the regional government to ban the organization citing security and public-order issues. Supporters of the JAAC repeatedly clashed with police in the lead-up to the vote.
Analysts suggest the election results reinforce public confidence in the democratic process, with voters proceeding to cast ballots despite the boycott campaign and associated unrest. Authorities have accused JAAC supporters of attempting to disrupt the election and alleged infiltration by members of the Pakistani Taliban, claims the JAAC has not responded to.
The JAAC, formed in 2023, is demanding greater political rights for the people of Kashmir. The government states it has accepted 36 of the group's 38 demands, with the issue of reserved seats only resolvable by the assembly.
The dispute centers on 12 seats reserved for individuals displaced from Indian-controlled Kashmir. The JAAC contends these seats grant disproportionate political influence to those living outside Pakistan-administered Kashmir and seeks their abolition. In June, the region's Supreme Court ruled that these seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed without a constitutional amendment.
These reserved seats were established to ensure representation for individuals displaced from Indian-controlled Kashmir who settled elsewhere in Pakistan due to a lack of accommodation capacity in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Some displaced individuals have lived in Pakistan for decades, while others relocated to Pakistan-administered Kashmir later.
Pakistan and India each administer a portion of Kashmir but claim sovereignty over the entire Himalayan region. The two nuclear-armed nations have engaged in two of their three wars over Kashmir since gaining independence from Britain in 1947.