Voters in the Pakistan-occupied part of the disputed Kashmir region head to the polls in July and August to elect members of the territory’s Legislative Assembly. Those lawmakers will then choose a prime minister to form the local government.
The vote will be an important test for the region. It won’t alter the decades-old territorial dispute over Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but it will be closely watched by both countries as they seek to bolster their competing narratives over the territory. The campaign has already been overshadowed by a dispute over 12 assembly seats that are elected exclusively by refugees from India-occupied Kashmir living outside the territory, which critics argue gives non-residents undue influence over the territory’s politics.
The election also comes as Pakistan faces pressure on several other fronts. Its government is grappling with a fragile economic recovery after years of high inflation, a balance-of-payments crisis and successive International Monetary Fund bailout programs. It is also managing heightened tensions with India following military clashes in 2025, as well as unrest along its northern border with Afghanistan.
How will the election in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir work?
The vote — which occurs once every five years — will determine 45 of the 53 members of the Legislative Assembly of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It’s one of several territories whose ownership has been disputed by India and Pakistan since the late 1940s.
The political parties are vetted by the Election Commission of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Of the 45 directly elected seats, 33 are elected from constituencies within the territory, while 12 are elected by voters registered as refugees from India-occupied Kashmir who live elsewhere in Pakistan.
The remaining eight seats are reserved: five for women and one each for a religious scholar, a technocrat and an overseas Kashmiri. Those members are selected by the newly elected lawmakers, broadly in proportion to each party’s representation in the local government.
The local government is responsible for areas such as health, education and security. Pakistan’s federal government, however, retains authority over defense, foreign affairs and key constitutional matters relating to Kashmir, limiting the autonomy of the elected institution.
Polling, originally scheduled for a single day, will now take place in three phases — on July 27, Aug. 2 and Aug. 10 — after the Election Commission revised the program to ensure transparency and fairness in the process after consulting the political parties.
What are the big issues at this year’s election?
The election has been overshadowed by controversy over the 12 seats exclusively elected by refugees from India-occupied Kashmir living elsewhere in Pakistan. While the seats have long been a part of the electoral system, critics argue they give non-residents disproportionate influence over the local politics and are calling for their abolition. Pakistan says the seats ensure representation for displaced Kashmiris and are constitutionally protected to reflect its longstanding position that the entire former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir remains disputed.
The cost of living has also become a major campaign issue. Rising electricity prices, unemployment and inflation have all fueled public discontent, while many residents want Pakistan-occcupied Kashmir to receive a greater share of revenue generated by hydropower projects in the territory.
These grievances have supported the rise of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) which is a coalition of traders, lawyers, transport workers, students and others that advocates lower electricity and food prices, governance reforms and greater political accountability. The movement has sparked deadly protests and legal challenges, broadening the debate beyond traditional party politics and toward questions about the territory’s relationship with Islamabad.
The local government — backed by Islamabad — has cracked down on protesters. There have been reports of arrests of activists, restrictions on demonstrations and clashes with security forces.
Are the results important for Pakistan?
The election comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following military clashes in 2025. Pakistan is also grappling with deteriorating security along its western border with Afghanistan, where cross-border militant attacks have strained relations with the Taliban government.
For Islamabad, the vote is a test of both its political authority in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and its broader narrative on the Kashmir dispute. A peaceful election with a strong voter turnout would allow the government to argue its governance of the territory remains credible despite months of unrest. Conversely, disputes over the electoral process or ongoing protests could intensify calls for constitutional reforms and greater local autonomy. The outcome will also indicate whether that discontent has translated into electoral support for candidates advocating those changes.
The election is also the first major political test for Islamabad since widespread protests over the past two years exposed deep public frustration over rising living costs. As Islamabad seeks to consolidate a fragile recovery after successive IMF bailout programs, prolonged political unrest could weigh on investor confidence.
Will the election have any repercussions for India?
The election is unlikely to have any direct political impact in India. New Delhi does not recognize Pakistan’s occupied of the territory, maintaining that the entire former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the Pakistan-occupied portion, is an integral part of India.
However, the conduct and aftermath of the election are also likely to feed into India’s competing narrative on Kashmir. Any allegations of polling malpractice, renewed protests or violence would likely be cited by Indian officials as evidence of governance failures in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has already repeatedly pointed to unrest in the territory to criticize Pakistan’s government. In mid-July, ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that recent protests were “a direct consequence of Pakistan’s decades-long systemic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights and administrative oppression in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation.” He also called on the international community to hold Islamabad “fully accountable” for what India described as “the systemic abuse of the people” in the territory.
What’s the history of the Kashmir dispute?
Kashmir is a contested region in the Himalayas, bordering India, Pakistan and China. Today it is divided among the three countries: India administers Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Pakistan controls Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and China controls Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract.
The dispute dates to the partition of British India in 1947, when the rulers of more than 560 princely states had to decide to join either India or Pakistan. The Hindu ruler of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir, a region roughly the size of the UK and with a population of some 12 million today, initially sought to keep his state independent.
After tribal fighters from Pakistan entered Jammu and Kashmir in October 1947, its ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, signed the Instrument of Accession to India in return for military assistance. India says the accession was legally valid and made the former princely state an integral part of the country. Pakistan disputes the accession’s validity and says the region’s future should be determined through a UN-backed plebiscite.
India and Pakistan now face off along a 460-mile (740-kilometer) de facto boundary known as the Line of Control, originally created by the UN as part of a ceasefire agreement after war broke out between the two countries in 1947.
Today, New Delhi accuses Islamabad of sponsoring militants active in Kashmir, which Pakistan’s government denies. It says India’s government mistreats Kashmir’s Muslims, and has described the militants as freedom fighters. The Indian government says they have been trained and funded by Pakistan’s military, and that their leaders continue to live freely in Pakistan.
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.