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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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