ISLAMABAD: (Bernama-dpa) A second round of voting in regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir opened on Sunday (Aug 2) amid growing clashes and heightened tensions between security forces and protesters in the picturesque valley, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The protests, led by the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) that has been pushing for a change to electoral laws and more concessions to the region over the past two months, have transformed into a deadly stand-off.
The JAAC claims more than 30 people were killed during and after the first round of voting on July 27.
The group also says that more than 70 JAAC demonstrators have been killed by security forces since the protests began. The claims could not be independently verified.
Amnesty International has demanded a "transparent investigation” into the use of force against protesters.
On Friday, hundreds of young men and women rallied in the Pakistani capital to express solidarity with the JAAC.
The stand-off between the JAAC and security forces continues in the Rawalakot region where schools, markets and banks are closed, and mobile and internet services have been suspended.
The tense security situation contributed to low turnout in the first phase of voting, according to analysts, in which the ruling PML-N won nine out of 13 seats.
"It (turnout) is around 47 per cent in 2026 compared to around 61 per cent in 2021. It is comparatively lower but not that bad going by the standards in Pakistan,” said Ahmad Bilal Mahboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT).
Mahboob said that the JAAC and a boycott of former prime minister Imran Khan's party had contributed to the lower turnout. - Bernama-dpa
