Pakistan-administered Kashmir elections and protests – all you need to know

Pakistan-administered Kashmir is facing its worst political crisis in years after weeks of protests demanding electoral reforms turned deadly.The protests forced staggered regional elections, with the second of the three-phase vote held on Sunday amid calls for a boycott by local activists and a shutdown of businesses in Muzaffarabad, the region’s main city, and other places.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Pakistan-administered Kashmir opens polls in violence-wracked electionlist 2 of 4Protest group says 30 dead in Pakistan-administered Kashmir vote unrestlist 3 of 4Pakistan’s Kashmir votes: Why the election hinges on 12 disputed seatslist 4 of 4Is Pakistan ‘using India’s playbook’ in Kashmir?end of listThe third and final round of voting is scheduled for August 10.The protests are led by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a banned group pushing for changes to electoral laws and more economic concessions for the region.The epicentre of the protests is Rawalakot, the headquarters of the Poonch division in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), one of the two regions that comprise Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the other being Gilgit-Baltistan.The AJK reg...