PoK heads to polls amid weeks of deadly clashes and political unrest - what to expect
Elections for the legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are beginning amid high security and recent violent protests. The three-phase voting process follows months of unrest led by the Joint Awami Action Committee regarding regional representation.
Why it matters
The elections occur in a volatile region, and the heavy security presence underscores the ongoing tension between local protesters and the government.
Elections to the so-called legislative assembly in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) begin on Monday amid heightened security and continuing political unrest. The three-phase polls come after weeks of violent clashes that have left several people dead and hundreds injured.Polling for the 45 directly elected seats of the 53-member assembly will be conducted in three phases, ending on August 10. The first phase covers 13 constituencies in Mirpur division on Monday. This will be followed by polling in nine constituencies of Muzaffarabad division and all 12 refugee constituencies on August 2, with the remaining 11 constituencies of Poonch division voting on August 10.Ahead of the polls, Pakistan's Punjab province deployed 14,000 police personnel to PoK for election security."The Punjab government has sent 14,000 personnel of Punjab policemen for Kashmir poll security duty on the request of the Kashmir government," a Pakistani government official told news agency PTI."Of these, 30 per cent are…
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