Welcome to Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief.
The highlights this week: Unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir underscores broader discontent, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterates from exile her plans to return home this year, and a former top Afghan military official makes a threat against the Taliban regime.
Pakistan’s Latest Headache
Political unrest has gripped Pakistan-administered Kashmir, known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, for two months. The situation came to a head in recent days, turning deadly as protesters and security forces clashed. The escalation coincided with local elections, which run from July 27 to Aug. 10 in a three-phase process.
Making sense of the simmering crisis has been difficult until now. Local authorities cut the internet in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in June, leading to information shortages that have been exploited by those eager to fill the gap. In an apparent attempt to exaggerate the crisis, government critics posted fake videos depicting massacres on the streets of Kashmir.
