The first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections has concluded, with all 13 seats in the Mirpur Division now decided. But tensions remain high in the region following violent clashes in Rawalakot between police and protesters linked to the banned Awami Action Committee.
Conflicting Accounts of the Clash
In a statement issued last night, Azad Kashmir Police said protesters attempted to force their way into Rawalakot city and opened fire, leaving two police officers injured.
The banned Awami Action Committee has given a markedly different account. According to BBC Urdu, a committee member claimed in a video statement that 14 protesters were killed in the firing, including Usman Nazir, the younger brother of the group’s founding member, Umar Nazir.
BBC Urdu said it could not independently verify the casualty figures. When contacted, Azad Kashmir’s Inspector General of Police, Captain (Retired) Liaqat Ali Malik, said he could not confirm any deaths, noting that no bodies had been brought to any public or private hospital, nor were any in police custody. BBC Urdu further reported, citing an Awami Action Committee official, that the bodies of those allegedly killed had instead been taken to a medical camp set up near the Darek area of Rawalakot.
A Protest Movement in Its 49th Day
The unrest in Rawalakot is the latest flashpoint in a much longer campaign. The protest movement led by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee in Azad Kashmir has now stretched into its 49th day. By available figures, 40 people have died since the protests began — 34 protesters and six police and paramilitary personnel.
March Toward Muzaffarabad
Despite the violence, the Awami Action Committee has said protesters will continue their march toward Muzaffarabad on foot after regrouping in Rawalakot, aiming to reach the city within four days — raising the prospect of further confrontation ahead of the next phase of voting.
Election Schedule Moving Forward
The second phase of polling in Azad Kashmir is scheduled for Muzaffarabad Division on August 2, with voting in the Poonch Division to follow on August 10.
The Mirpur Division results themselves saw PML-N take an early lead with seven of the division’s 13 seats against three for PPP, with the remaining contests trending toward the same split.