Violence in Pakistan‑Administered Kashmir Claims Seven Lives Ahead of Planned Refugee‑Seat Protest

ISLAMABAD — Clashes between supporters of the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and security forces in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, including four security personnel, officials announced Monday. The incident occurred just before a planned protest over the constitutional status of 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan.

Dozens more were injured, including police officers and civilians, during the violence that erupted on Sunday following the Supreme Court of Pakistan‑administered Kashmir’s ruling that the refugee seats are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment.

The landmark ruling preceded a rally scheduled for Tuesday by the JAAC, which has long demanded greater political rights for residents of the region and the elimination of the refugee seats, arguing they give disproportionate influence to displaced communities. The group has organized large protests in recent years, some of which have turned violent.

The police confirmed that the fatalities included four security personnel and three JAAC supporters.

According to regional police, armed supporters of the JAAC opened fire on security forces in Rawalakot, a city in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir, and subsequently surrounded the Combined Military Hospital, disrupting medical services. Authorities eventually dispersed the crowd and restored order.

Police alleged that protestors set fires and damaged government and private property.

Authorities reported that normal hospital operations had resumed and that major highways, markets, and commercial centers were functioning normally by Monday. Legal action is underway against those involved in the unrest.

Tensions had been rising in the region for weeks but escalated after the court issued its opinion in response to a presidential reference seeking guidance on constitutional questions related to the refugee seats and upcoming elections for the 45‑member Legislative Assembly.

In its ruling, the court stated that Sunday the 12 refugee seats could not be abolished through executive action and that any change would require a constitutional amendment by the Legislative Assembly. The court also emphasized that public order could not be disrupted in the name of political protest and that elections must be held within the constitutionally prescribed timeframe.

The current assembly has completed its term, with elections scheduled for next month.

The regional government recently banned the JAAC, citing threats to public order, and police arrested dozens of its supporters last week. The refugee seats at the center of the dispute are reserved for people who migrated to Pakistan from Indian‑controlled Kashmir decades ago and are intended to represent communities displaced by the long‑running conflict over the Himalayan region.

The regional government says it accepted 36 of JAAC’s 38 demands during negotiations last year involving the group, regional authorities, and Pakistan’s federal government. Two remaining demands concerned constitutional matters that could only be addressed by the Legislative Assembly.

Kashmir is divided between Pakistan and India, both of which claim the territory in its entirety and have fought two wars over it since independence from British rule in 1947. Last year, clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan‑administered Kashmir killed several people, including police officers.

Associated Press writer Ishfaq Hussain in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, contributed to this story.

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