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    EYE ON INDIA                                                          AUGUST 07, 2026      |  The Indian Eye                    8

                 PoJK Unrest Exposes Pakistan’s

               Deepening Fragility and Faultline

              Violent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir has become more than a local law-and-order
             crisis, exposing the widening cracks in Pakistan’s political legitimacy, economic stability and governance.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            ments inside PoJK.
                                                                                                                      The Joint Awami Action Com-
            Muzaffarabad [PoJK] / New Delhi                                                                       mittee has gone a step further by call-
            T     he latest violence in Paki-                                                                     ing upon the United Nations, interna-
                  stan-occupied
                                Jammu
                                                                                                                  tional media and global human rights
                                        and
                  Kashmir (PoJK) has once again
            highlighted the growing internal chal-                                                                organizations to independently inves-
                                                                                                                  tigate recent events. Such appeals in-
            lenges confronting Pakistan. While                                                                    ternationalize what Islamabad would
            Islamabad has often sought to project                                                                 likely prefer to treat as an internal se-
            itself internationally as a defender of                                                               curity matter.
            the Kashmiri cause, the unrest in terri-                                                                  At the same time, India has re-
            tories under its own control has raised                                                               newed its diplomatic assertion that
            uncomfortable questions about gov-                                                                    the territory remains an integral part
            ernance, democratic credibility and                                                                   of India. The Ministry of External
            public dissatisfaction.                                                                               Affairs recently criticized internation-
                The immediate trigger has been                                                                    al media for describing the region as
            protests, allegations of excessive force                                                              “Pakistani Kashmir”, reiterating New
            by security agencies and opposition                                                                   Delhi’s position that it is Pakistan-oc-
            accusations that the recently held                                                                    cupied Jammu and Kashmir.
            elections in PoJK were manipulated.   Members of the POJK Displaced Community residing in Jammu city hold a protest against   The unrest in PoJK should not be
            Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dis-                                                                   viewed merely as an isolated region-
            missed the polls as “fraudulent”, while   atrocities being committed by Pakistan in parts of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir   al disturbance. Rather, it reflects the
            the Human Rights Commission of Pa-                   (PoJK) in Jammu on Friday (ANI Photo)            cumulative pressures facing the Paki-
            kistan (HRCP) and opposition parties                                                                  stani state.
            demanded an independent inquiry   claiming public consent.          ness rising political mobilization as cit-  Political distrust, allegations of
            into reports of deaths and injuries   The calls by the HRCP for an im-  izens become increasingly impatient   electoral manipulation, economic
            during the unrest. The controversy   partial investigation further underline   with declining living standards and   hardship and growing regional dissat-
            has reinforced the perception that Pa-  that  concerns  over the  handling of   weak governance.      isfaction are combining to create an
            kistan is struggling to manage discon-  protests are no longer confined to po-  Pakistan’s  economic  difficulties   increasingly fragile domestic environ-
            tent even in territories it administers.  litical opponents but have entered Pa-  form the backdrop to the unrest.  ment. Governments can often manage
                The political controversy sur-  kistan’s wider civil society discourse.  In PoJK, protesters have increas-  one crisis at a time, but simultaneous
            rounding the PoJK elections reflects   The developments in PoJK do   ingly framed their demands around   political, economic and security chal-
            a broader crisis of confidence in Paki-  not exist in isolation.    governance and accountability rather   lenges are far more difficult to contain.
            stan’s democratic institutions.       Pakistan  has  simultaneously  than purely constitutional questions.   The immediate protests may
                Former Prime Minister of PoJK   faced continuing unrest in Baloch-  This indicates that everyday economic   eventually subside, but the under-
            Sardar Qayyum Niazi alleged that   istan,  security  challenges along  its   and administrative concerns are be-  lying issues appear more structural
            the elections had been pre-arranged   western borders, economic hardship,   coming central to political mobilization.  than temporary. Unless Pakistan suc-
            and questioned why polling in a ter-  political polarization and an uncertain   The perception that authorities   ceeds in rebuilding public confidence
            ritory of barely four million people   relationship between civilian leaders   are responding with force instead of   through credible institutions, eco-
            required three phases when Pakistan   and the military establishment. Each   dialogue risks further eroding public   nomic recovery and greater political
            itself conducts nationwide elections   crisis reinforces the other.  confidence.                      accommodation, similar episodes are
            in a single phase. He further alleged   Former  Indian  Ambassador      Pakistan has long attempted to   likely to recur.
            that force had been used against   Vidya Bhushan Soni argued that   highlight alleged human rights con-   For India, the developments re-
            peaceful protesters and claimed that   growing frustration is emerging be-  cerns in Indian-administered Jammu   inforce  its  longstanding  contention
            dissent was being suppressed rather   cause Pakistan’s expectations of im-  and Kashmir before international fo-  that Pakistan’s internal governance
            than addressed.                   proving its international standing and   rums.                      challenges increasingly undermine
                Whether  or not  all  these  alle-  attracting economic assistance have   However, unrest within Paki-  Islamabad’s international messaging
            gations  are  independently  verified,   not materialized. According to him,   stan-administered territory compli-  on Kashmir. More broadly, the events
            the fact that a major opposition   many groups now believe Islamabad is   cates that diplomatic narrative.  demonstrate that stability cannot be
            party has boycotted the electoral   paying greater attention to projecting   Former PoJK Prime Minister   sustained through security measures
            process and publicly questioned its   itself internationally than addressing   Niazi himself acknowledged this di-  alone. Lasting political legitimacy de-
            legitimacy weakens Pakistan’s dem-  domestic grievances.            lemma, saying those who once cam-  pends on institutions that command
            ocratic credentials. When elections   His remarks point to an import-  paigned internationally on Kashmir   public trust—something Pakistan ap-
            themselves become contested, gov-  ant reality. Countries experiencing   now found it difficult to defend Paki-  pears to be finding increasingly diffi-
            ernments  face  increasing  difficulty   prolonged economic stress often wit-  stan’s own record because of develop-  cult to achieve.

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