Muzaffarabad, August 3: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officially referred to by Pakistan as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), has witnessed weeks of protests, clashes and political tension, with a long-running dispute over 12 Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiris who migrated to Pakistan emerging as one of the central flashpoints. The unrest has coincided with the region’s legislative elections and has intensified demands for political and electoral reforms.
The protests have been led largely by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society coalition whose demands initially focused on economic issues such as subsidised flour, electricity prices and a greater share of benefits from hydropower projects. Over time, the movement expanded its demands to include political reforms and the abolition of the 12 Assembly seats reserved for refugees living elsewhere in Pakistan.
What are the 12 disputed seats?
The AJK Legislative Assembly has 45 directly elected seats, of which 33 are elected from constituencies within the territory. The remaining 12 are reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir who settled in different parts of Pakistan. These seats are contested outside the territory and are not part of the constituencies within PoK itself.
Critics argue that the arrangement allows people living outside the territory to influence the composition of its legislature. Protesters contend that representatives elected through these seats can influence governments in PoK despite being chosen by voters who do not reside there. They have therefore demanded that the system be abolished or fundamentally changed.
The dispute is also linked to concerns over political influence from Islamabad. Protest leaders and some analysts argue that the 12 seats can affect government formation and provide the federal government with an indirect means of influencing politics in PoK. The government, however, maintains that the seats represent refugees from Jammu and Kashmir and are part of the region’s constitutional framework.
Why has the issue become a major protest demand?
The demand did not begin as the principal focus of the current movement. The JAAC’s earlier campaigns centred largely on economic grievances, including the cost of electricity and subsidised wheat. The 12 refugee seats were added to its expanded list of demands later, eventually becoming one of the most contentious political issues ahead of the Assembly elections.
Protesters have argued that public funds should not be used to maintain representatives elected from constituencies outside the territory. They have also demanded changes to the political structure and greater local control over governance and resources.
What does the government say?
The authorities have argued that the 12 seats cannot simply be removed through an executive decision. The AJK Supreme Court has held that the seats are protected under the territory’s constitutional framework and can only be abolished through a formal constitutional amendment. The court also indicated that such a change cannot be achieved merely through political pressure.
The constitutional obstacle has made an immediate settlement difficult. Protest leaders have proposed alternatives, including replacing the 12 Assembly seats with representation in the Kashmir Council, while retaining some form of symbolic representation for refugees until the wider Kashmir dispute is resolved. These proposals have not resolved the disagreement.
Why are elections adding to the tension?
The dispute has unfolded alongside elections for the AJK Legislative Assembly. The 45-seat election has been divided into phases, with polling in different divisions taking place on separate dates amid heightened security concerns. The JAAC has opposed the electoral process and called for a boycott, arguing that the existing political system does not adequately represent local residents.
The protests have also been accompanied by road blockades, shutdowns and clashes with security forces. Reports have said dozens of people have been killed during the unrest, while communications restrictions and security measures have disrupted daily life in parts of the territory.
Beyond the 12 seats, protesters have raised broader concerns about economic hardship, governance, political representation and civil liberties. The movement’s evolution from demands over flour and electricity to a wider challenge to the political structure has made the unrest a significant test for the authorities.
With the election process continuing and the dispute over the refugee seats unresolved, tensions remain high. The controversy has ultimately raised a broader question over who should have the political right to determine the composition of the legislature governing people living in PoK and how much influence should be exercised by voters residing outside the territory.
