Muzaffarabad, July 23, 2026 (Doon Horizon)
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has stated he wants to take over as the Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir if his party wins the upcoming assembly elections in the region. He delivered the announcement at a political rally in Muzaffarabad.
Sharif, whose younger brother Shehbaz Sharif currently holds the Prime Minister post in Islamabad, told rally attendees that his family ancestors originated from Kashmir. He referred to the region as his second home and claimed he wants to directly manage local development projects. If the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) forms the local government, Sharif plans to request his brother to clear his appointment as regional Prime Minister.
The territory goes to polls between July 27 and August 10, 2026.
Sharif’s election push arrives during widespread anti-government protests across major urban centers in the region. Clashes between security forces and local residents have disrupted life in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Mirpur, and Sudhnoti for weeks. Ground reports confirm at least 30 people have died in the violence so far.
The agitation is being led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC). Protesters are demanding heavily subsidized wheat, reduced electricity rates, direct local shares from hydroelectric project royalties, and an immediate end to official perks granted to regional bureaucrats and politicians.
The JKJAAC had temporarily suspended a planned march toward Muzaffarabad to give government representatives time to address their core charter of demands. That pause ended today. Activists announced the immediate resumption of their mass march to the capital while maintaining sit-in blockades across major transit points. PML-N is facing a tight election contest against the Pakistan Peoples Party, despite both parties remaining coalition partners in the federal government.
