Political mobilisation is in full swing as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) is all set for the 11th general elections on July 25. The AJK is a self-governing region, administrated by Pakistan with an area of 13,297 square kilometres. All major Pakistani mainstream political parties have a strong presence in the region.

The three main political parties, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are contesting the general elections for the AJK Legislative Assembly. Additionally, the Muslim Conference, the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party (a breakaway faction of the PPP), and the Jamaat-i-Islami have also nominated their candidates for the elections. According to the Election Commission’s data, over 2.8 million voters will exercise their right to vote on 45 direct seats, out of which 12 are located in the four provinces of Pakistan known as refugees’ seats for the Kashmiris displaced from the Indian-Held Kashmir. Altogether, 708 candidates are contesting the elections.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the first national leader to start electioneering in mid-June followed by Maryam Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N. The PTI entered the campaign slightly late. Ali Amin Gandapur, the federal minister for Kashmir affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, is spearheading the campaign for the PTI in the AJK along with Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry, the PTI-AJK chapter president, and some other federal ministers.

Traditionally, the ruling party in Pakistan has always wons the elections in the AJK. The PTI currently has governments in Islamabad, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Punjab. Several ‘electables’ have recently joined the PTI ranks hoping to benefit from the party’s incumbency.

PM Imran Khan is scheduled to address the public in four districts of the AJK: Mirpur, Bagh, Muzaffarabad and Bhimber. Raja Mansoor Khan, the PTI candidate from Muzaffarabad, hopes that PM Imran Khan’s visit to the AJK will significantly enhance PTI’s standing and prove a major vote puller. Some PTI insiders claim that during his visit to the AJK, PM Imran Khan might announce a special Rs 500 billion economic development package for the region.

Both the PPP and the PML-N have been criticising the PTI for its inaction regarding the Kashmir issue particularly after August 5, 2019. The outgoing AJK prime minister has said that the PTI government wants to make the AJK a province by revoking its autonomous status. Maryam Nawaz has said that her party will never allow the AJK to become a province. She has also warned that “in case the elections are rigged”, the PML-N will stage a sit-in in Islamabad. Bilal Bhutto Zardari has also claimed that the PTI wants to form a “puppet regime” in the AJK. These statements indicate that both mainstream parties are preparing the grounds to contest the legitimacy of the elections, in case they lose the election.

There has been cause for concern though. Recently, Ali Amin Gandapur was caught on camera distributing a bundle of Rs 5,000notes among people during the election campaign in Mirpur. This video received a lot of backlash, especially from the rival parties. Chaudhry Rasib, a PTI member, confessed that he had received Rs 390,000 from the federal minister in this regard. Speaking to The News on Sunday, Azhar Sadiq dismissed the allegation. The Election Commission of the AJK has instructed the police to register an FIR against Gandapur for the blatant violation of the election rules. Raja Farooq Haider, the outgoing AJK prime minister, has demanded Sadiq’s disqualification, saying that the video is a proof a violation of the code of conduct by the federal minister. Abdul Rashid Sulehria, the AJK election commissioner, has taken notice of this incident and written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan asking him to instruct his party members to respect the rules.

The next few days will witness more aggressive electioneering as Aseefa Bhutto, Shahbaz Sharif and several federal ministers will be making stops all over the AJK to convince the voters to choose their parties. The national media coverage is also expected to be huge this time as all major electronic channels have sent their crew to key towns to ensure live coverage. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter will also be playing a vital role in spreading political messages across the region.

It is widely believed and reiterated that most political parties have failed to highlight the issues of public interest such as rising unemployment, poor internet connectivity, deteriorating health and education facilities and the dilapidated infrastructure in the AJK.

Altaf Hussain Wani, a leading Kashmiri human rights defender, laments that the political parties have been exploiting Kashmiris’ sentiments for the liberation of Kashmir to attract voters and boost their popularity. Kashmir has become a punching bag for the political parties, no more and no less, he adds.

The AJK election, however, is important not just for local news and politics.The external dimension of this election should not be overlooked. The Indian government is keenly watching the AJK elections. Ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections is therefore, of paramount importance. Given the tit-for-tat nature of the India-Pakistan dynamic, it is likely to exploit any irregularities to its advantage. There will be little room for Pakistan to argue its case in front of the international community effectively and claim moral high ground if the election is not free, fair and transparent.

The writer is a Rawalakot, AJK based freelance contributor. She can be reached at hunainmehmud101@gmail.com