Pakistan’s Kashmir votes: Why the election hinges on 12 disputed seats

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan-administered Kashmir, formally known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), has spent the summer under an unofficial state of emergency.Since early June, nearly 40 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, with sit-ins and road blockades regular features in the region over this period.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Can Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s election overcome a violent summer?list 2 of 4Protest in Pakistan’s Kashmir stalls after nine killed in clasheslist 3 of 4UN urges probe into deaths in Pakistani-administered Kashmir unrestlist 4 of 4Why is India vetting books in Kashmir in search of ‘anti-national’ content?end of listBanks remained shut for two weeks. Mobile and internet services remain suspended across most of the territory. Poonch division, which borders India and has been the epicentre of the unrest, was effectively sealed off for weeks, disrupting the supply of flour and other essentials to a region that depends heavily on them.The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the movement behind the protests, was banned by the local government on June 5, days before a planned demonstrat...