Human rights defenders denounced that at least 90 people died as a result of clashes with security forces.
On Monday, Pakistanis reported that they were unable to access Al Jazeera, one day after the Pakistani government accused the Qatari outlet of providing biased coverage of the elections and protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the self-governing administrative region controlled by Pakistan.
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Social media users claim that Al Jazeera was blocked in response to its coverage of demonstrations led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a human rights advocacy group demanding political reforms in the AJK.
According to official figures, 20 people have died since protests began in the city of Rawalakot in early June. The JAAC says the death toll is nearly 90 as a result of clashes with security forces.
The situation comes as general elections are being held in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, with the third and final phase of voting scheduled for Aug. 10.
Al Jazeera reports death of at least 80 Kashmiris and casts doubts on the credibility of the elections in Kashmir.#BREAKING #KashKashmiris #Pakistan https://t.co/bbN9h9CLGp
— Jalal (@JalalViews) August 3, 2026
The JAAC has urged people to reject the electoral process. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has boycotted the general elections. Al Jazeera has been reporting extensively on the protests in Kashmir and the electoral process.
“Residents of Muzaffarabad, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, have boycotted the elections amid a strike; protesters question how voting can proceed after the unrest that has killed at least 80 people since June,” Al Jazeera reported Sunday.
The Information Ministry responded that the government had “taken note of Al Jazeera’s selective coverage.” “Through carefully chosen footage and scripted statements from selected individuals, the channel has attempted to misrepresent the AJK elections and the voting process,” the ministry said.
Over the years, Pakistan has intensified media censorship through digital surveillance, repressive legislative measures, and legal action against journalists, largely enforced through the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act.
Reporters Without Borders ranked Pakistan 153rd out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index. The group also says Pakistan is one of the world’s most dangerous places to practice journalism.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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