Pakistan-administered Kashmir election boycott follows deadly crackdown

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- Residents of Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir boycotted the election amid a strike, with protesters questioning how voting could proceed after unrest that has killed at least 80 people since June, according to local estimates.
- Al Jazeera correspondent Kamal Hyder reported the developments from Muzaffarabad on 2 Aug 2026.
Why it matters: An election boycotted amid a strike and a death toll of at least 80 since June strips the vote of any democratic legitimacy, deepening the political crisis in Pakistan-administered Kashmir where no constituency appears willing to participate under current conditions.



