Widespread protests have broken out in the Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following allegations that the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN), along with the Pakistany spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had rigged the recently-held elections there. The PMLN is led by Pakistan Prime Minister M Nawaz Sharif.
The elections were held on July 21, and the results saw the PMLN winning more than 30 of the 40-odd seats in PoK. However, people are now protesting against it, alleging that the poll process was rigged. They say genuine voters were not allowed to exercise their franchise, and are demanding fresh elections, to be overseen by a neutral third party.
The protests are being held in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoK. Protests have also been reported from Chinari, Mirpur, and Kotli. Pakistan, meanwhile, has reportedly ordered a halt in news coverage in the region.
Despite that, a video footage has emerged from the region that shows protesters have taken to the roads, setting fire to tyres and creating roadblocks with them. Many shops in the region have also been closed in light of the protests.
In some places, the locals have also reportedly clashed with the police over these protests. They also congregated and shouted slogans against the PMLN and the ISI at some locations.
The flashpoint of the protests is said to be the killing of a Muslim Conference activist by supporters of the PMLN. The MC was one of the major political parties other than the PMLN that had contested the July 21 elections.
Watch the video of the protest here:
