Reuters reported that protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which coincided with regional elections, have turned violent, with more than 30 people killed in clashes between protesters and security forces.
According to Reuters, leaders of a banned Kashmiri group said the clashes took place around one of the cities ahead of the second round of elections.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ruling party, the Muslim League-Nawaz, won 9 out of 13 seats contested in the Mirpur Kotli and Bhimber districts in Monday’s elections.
Due to security concerns, Pakistani authorities have divided the Kashmir regional elections, which were scheduled to be held in a single phase on July 27, into three phases. The second and third rounds of these elections are scheduled to be held on August 2 and 10, respectively.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led by Imran Khan, the winner of the 2021 elections, has boycotted the elections due to concerns about electoral fraud.
