Politics · World
PoK Elections Marred by Violence, Boycotts, and International Scrutiny
The first phase of assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was marked by violence, with reports of Pakistani forces firing on protesters resulting in at least 19 deaths. The unrest followed months of anger over reserved refugee seats, alleged election rigging, and a ban on a local rights group. Many residents boycotted the polls, leading to empty booths. India's Ministry of External Affairs criticized the elections as a 'cosmetic' attempt to hide illegal occupation and human rights violations.
How outlets across the spectrum covered it
Left 1 · Centre 6 · Right 7 n = 14
- Left (1): Scroll.in
- Centre (6 votes, 7 outlets): Hindustan Times, Jansatta · The Indian Express (Indian Express Group — 1 vote), Navbharat Times, The Print, The Quint, The Tribune
- Right (7 votes, 8 outlets): Firstpost · News18 Hindi (Network18 — 1 vote), India Today, OpIndia, Republic World, TFIPOST, The Pioneer, Zee News (Hindi)