After weeks of violent protests, PoK votes in final election phase amid PTI, JAAC boycott calls

Pakistan’s elections were marked by protests and violence, raising concerns over security, political stability and the credibility of the electoral process.

Polling for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s so called assembly elections entered its final phase on Monday amid heightened security and reports of Islamabad-backed crackdown in the region.Voting is being held despite boycott calls from the Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) PoJK unit and the Pakistan-banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).The tussle between the JAAC and the Shehbaz Sharif-Asim Munir duo’s crackdown has made the situation grim in PoK.India has also strongly condemned the crackdown on protesters. The MEA has called the so-called assembly elections in the illegally occupied region as a “farce”.The MEA also condemned Pakistan’s actions that led to the killing of 90 civilians in PoK.Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) PoJK unit has announced a complete boycott of the ongoing electoral process in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), calling it “unconstitutional” and “unfair”.The election has taken place against the backdrop of weeks of protests led by the JAAC, which has been demanding greater political rights for residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.The final phase also came after media curbs, and other major restrictions imposed by Islamabad authority.The demonstrations have also seen clashes with security forces, overshadowing the election campaign.The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has already secured a majority in the assembly, seeing a likely return after a decade.