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Local elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir are scheduled to begin on July 27, but the vote is overshadowed by a boycott call from a recently outlawed alliance and weeks of unrest that have left around 30 people dead since June, according to local estimates cited by Reuters news agency.

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a grassroots alliance of civil society groups, has urged residents to stay away from the polls. The group was proscribed under anti-terrorism laws in June, as reported by Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle.

Coverage comparison

Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle both report that the first phase of the local elections is scheduled for July 27, with voting staggered across three days due to security concerns. Both outlets note that the JAAC, now outlawed, is leading a boycott campaign over a dispute about 12 seats in the regional assembly reserved for people displaced from India-administered Kashmir and now living in Pakistan.

Al Jazeera additionally provides details about the government's commitments to the JAAC in October 2024, including promises to devolve development budgets to local councillors and eliminate perks and privileges for politicians. It also reports that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari proposed establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine the situation. These details are not present in the Deutsche Welle coverage.

Key claims

  • Local elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir are scheduled for July 27, as reported by both Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle.
  • The JAAC demands the abolition of 12 seats in the regional assembly reserved for people displaced from India-administered Kashmir and living in Pakistan, according to multiple sources.
  • The Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that the refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment, a claim carried by both Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle.
  • The JAAC was outlawed in June under anti-terrorism laws, as reported by both outlets.
  • The unrest has left around 30 people dead since June, according to local estimates cited by Reuters news agency, as noted by Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle.
  • Bilawal Bhutto Zardari proposed establishing a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to examine the situation and establish relevant facts, a claim carried by Al Jazeera.
  • The government made commitments to the JAAC in October 2024, including promises to devolve development budgets to local councillors and eliminate perks and privileges enjoyed by politicians, as reported by Al Jazeera.