Voters in the Pakistan-occupied part of the disputed Kashmir region head to the polls in July and August to elect members of the territory’s Legislative Assembly. Those lawmakers will then choose a prime minister to form the local government.
The vote will be an important test for the region. It won’t alter the decades-old territorial dispute over Kashmir, which is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, but it will be closely watched by both countries as they seek to bolster their competing narratives over the territory. The campaign has already been overshadowed by a dispute over 12 assembly seats that are elected exclusively by refugees from India-occupied Kashmir living outside the territory, which critics argue gives non-residents undue influence over the territory’s politics.The election also comes as Pakistan faces pressure on several other fronts. Its government is grappling with a fragile economic recovery after years of high inflation, a balance-of-payments crisis and successive International Monetary Fund bailout programs. It is also managing heightened tensions with India following military clashes in 2025, as well as unrest along its northern border with Afghanistan.
