Scattered clashes broke out on Monday in the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir, extending a recent surge of violence that has killed dozens and overshadowed the start of a regional parliamentary election in the Himalayan territory.
Thousands of supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (J.A.A.C.), a civil rights coalition, convened in Rawalakot, roughly 20 miles from the heavily militarized de facto border separating Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. The gathering turned turbulent when police confronted the protesters near the town’s outskirts as they attempted to march toward Muzaffarabad, the regional capital.
The J.A.A.C. reported that several of its members were killed in the confrontations with police, but the figure remained unverified by independent sources, and authorities had not confirmed any fatalities as of Tuesday.
Massive protests, including sit-ins, strikes, and demonstrations, have swept the region since early June, with the J.A.A.C. demanding electoral reforms preceding the three-phase parliamentary election set to conclude on Aug. 10. The group seeks to transfer 12 parliamentary seats held by Kashmiris residing elsewhere in Pakistan to actual inhabitants of Kashmir—a proposal the Pakistani government has rebuffed, citing constitutional hurdles.
The J.A.A.C., a grassroots coalition of businessmen, students, and civil society figures, previously focused on subsidized food prices and ending financial perks for elected officials. While protests have been fatal in prior years, including in 2024 and 2025, the current upsurge represents the most lethal episode since the movement’s establishment in 2023.
At least 30 people, encompassing protesters, police, and civilians, have perished in clashes since early June and prior to Monday’s violence, based on local officials’ counts and independent tallies. The Kashmiri administration had outlawed the J.A.A.C. under antiterrorism statutes days before a scheduled protest in the month.
Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a senior J.A.A.C. official, stated in video messages Monday that the movement remained nonviolent and that its leadership had explicitly advised supporters to remain unarmed. He reiterated the group’s intention to proceed with the march toward Muzaffarabad.
Police in Kashmir acknowledged the confrontations but did not disclose any deaths. In an official statement, they reported that two officers had been shot and wounded by “armed mobs” on Monday.
The New York Times was unable to independently confirm casualty numbers or the exact sequence of events, as roads leading to Rawalakot—approximately 40 miles from Islamabad—were obstructed and internet across Kashmir had been suspended since June 5, severely limiting access to the region.
A senior administrative official in Rawalakot, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the protests, said authorities had not confirmed any deaths, noting that no bodies had been brought to nearby hospitals.
This year, the J.A.A.C. pivoted from campaigning on economic governance to targeting the region’s political structure, aiming to abolish the allocation of 12 of Kashmir’s 45 assembly seats to Kashmiri refugees from the Indian-administered portion residing in Pakistan.
Supporters of the seat allocation argue it grants displaced Kashmiris a legitimate voice in regional governance. In contrast, the J.A.A.C. contends that non-Kashmiri political parties have used these seats to manipulate or overthrow local administrations and has urged a boycott of the election.
The Kashmir unrest is but one of many challenges afflicting Pakistan, a nation of 250 million where the military is engaged in two separate insurgencies in the southern province of Balochistan and the western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, conflicts that have claimed thousands of security lives in recent years.
