New Delhi, September 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s renewed focus on Kashmir at the United Nations has coincided with continuing questions over political representation, governance and resource allocation in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly, Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s position that the Kashmir dispute requires a “just and fair solution” and said Islamabad would continue to support what it describes as Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. He also referred to alleged rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir under Indian administration.
At the same time, Pakistan-administered Kashmir has witnessed months of protests centred on local governance, economic conditions and political representation. A major point of contention has been 12 seats in the regional Legislative Assembly reserved for Kashmiri refugees who migrated to Pakistan after 1947 and now live outside PoJK.
The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which led the protests, has argued that the seats allow political parties based in Pakistan to influence the composition of the regional government. Pakistan’s authorities have rejected that interpretation. The AJK Supreme Court has ruled that the seats are constitutionally protected and can only be removed through a formal constitutional amendment.
The protests escalated sharply this year, with clashes between demonstrators and security forces resulting in deaths and injuries. The unrest was also accompanied by prolonged disruptions to internet and mobile services, while the government designated JAAC as a proscribed organisation under the region’s anti-terrorism law. UN officials have expressed concern over the use of anti-terror legislation against the movement and the communications blackout.
The controversy has brought renewed attention to the region’s relationship with Islamabad and the extent of local political autonomy. The AJK Legislative Assembly has 45 general seats, including 12 reserved constituencies representing Kashmiri refugees living elsewhere in Pakistan. The territory also has no representation in Pakistan’s national Parliament, while the Islamabad-chaired AJK Council retains authority over several federal-facing areas, according to regional governance analyses.
Against this backdrop, the election of PML-N’s Dr Najeeb Naqi as AJK president has also highlighted the influence of mainstream Pakistani political parties in the region. Naqi secured 32 votes against 13 for PPP candidate Chaudhry Latif Akbar and was subsequently sworn in as president.
The latest developments have therefore placed Pakistan’s international messaging on Kashmir alongside continuing domestic debates in PoJK over representation, autonomy, economic resources and governance. While Islamabad continues to frame the Kashmir dispute as an international question at global forums, critics of its administration in PoJK argue that greater attention is needed to the region’s own political and economic grievances.
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