KABUL (Pajhwok): Leaders of a banned Kashmiri group claimed on Wednesday that more than 30 people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces during regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
According to Reuters, Pakistani authorities have confirmed the death of one security personnel, injuries to five others and the deaths of at least three protesters in Mirpur.
The report said the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won nine of the 13 seats contested in the first phase of the elections, held on Monday in the districts of Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber.
The elections were originally scheduled to be held in a single phase on July 27, but authorities split the vote into three phases due to security concerns. The second and third phases are scheduled for August 2 and August 10.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the winner of the 2021 election, has boycotted the vote over allegations of electoral fraud.
Reuters reported that the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the region’s main protest movement, was banned by the regional government in June, prompting deadly protests last month.
The report said banking services, roads and internet access have remained largely disrupted since then, preventing Reuters from independently verifying the JAAC’s claim that more than 30 people were killed in clashes around Rawalakot.
Pakistani authorities said one member of the security forces was killed and five others were injured in Monday’s clashes. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said at least three protesters had been killed in Mirpur this week.
Pakistani officials justified the crackdown by alleging that armed, India-backed militants had joined the Kashmiri protesters. India has rejected similar allegations in the past.
“The entire election was a fraud,” Fazal Mahmood Baig, a resident of Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, said on Wednesday.
“We want this issue to be resolved peacefully,” Sardar Mazhar said during a protest in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.
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