Features | Politics | South Asia

Pakistan’s Kashmir Crackdown

A “sham” election sparked popular outrage in nominally autonomous Pakistan-administered Kashmir – and a corresponding security crackdown.

The Madina Market of Muzaffarabad, a major regional commercial hub, has finally reopened to economic activity following weeks of turmoil. Muzaffarabad – the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, housing the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the Legislative Assembly, and other government buildings emblematic of its on-paper autonomy – is showing signs of a return to daily life. Likewise, Mirpur, the region’s second largest city, has now resumed intracity public transportation, allowing locals to move between Pakistan and the territory Islamabad dubs as Azad, or Free Jammu and Kashmir. Nevertheless, Pakistan-administered Kashmir still has a visibly heightened deployment of security personnel.

Over the past three months, at least 80 people have been killed across the region amid the general election in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which was held from July 27 to August 10. The election, which was widely deemed contentious owing to allegations of polling day irregularities, in addition to pre-election machinations alleged to benefit status quo parties, saw the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – which are also leading the ruling alliance in Islamabad – emerge victorious.

“The elections were a sham. No one who actually wants any betterment for the locals participated in the election. It is not an election when all the votes go to one party: the Pakistan army,” Tariq Rehman, a schoolteacher in Kotli, told The Diplomat.

Pakistan’s omnipotent military establishment has maintained arbitrary control over the region since the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent divided the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Both states administer part of Jammu and Kashmir but claim the territory in its entirety, and they have fought multiple wars over it. 

In August 2019, India revoked Article 370 of its constitution, which undid the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir. Since then, multiple Pakistani government sources, including military officials, have told The Diplomat that there have been plans to mainstream the Pakistani-administered Kashmir, effectively upholding the Line of Control dividing the territory as an international border. Calls to divide Pakistan’s existing provinces have also gathered pace in recent months.

While the Pakistani state makes up its mind over the status of its controlled section of Kashmir, the locals have been stuck in limbo, unsure of their relationship with the country. Whether they are a distinct autonomous region – as upheld by Pakistan’s longstanding position and internationalization of the Kashmir dispute – or just a part of Pakistan is a question that has manifested in local political, social, and cultural expressions.   

“They want us to be Pakistanis when they feel like it. They want us to be Kashmiris when they feel like it. But the recent bloodshed shows that they want us to remain captives to their power games. Who kills people for demanding that we should have a say in deciding our own future?” said Mir Hamza, a Muzaffarabad-based artisan, who had participated in recent protests and was witness to security personnel firing on protestors. “My brother [cousin] is still in Rawalakot. We want to continue the movement until we can achieve our fundamental human rights.”

As the sit-in continues in Rawalakot, local authorities have made the city inaccessible, with media barred from reporting in the region. Internet blackouts have been in place to limit social media coverage, and laws have been passed requiring a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for coverage of any news. 

Many international and local publications have been blocked in Pakistan. One of them is the Urdu publication Daily Jeddojehad, which has documented the deaths in Pakistan-administered Kashmir amid the recent state crackdown. 

“Security agencies raided my home. In my absence, three of my family members were picked up. They told my family that my articles on Kashmir were anti-national and the raid was aimed at arresting me,” Jeddojehad editor Farooq Sulehria told The Diplomat. 

“I was in London, hence I was lucky to escape. However, I am not able to return to........

© The Diplomat