How Pakistan’s Military Uses PoK Assembly’s Refugee Seats To Manipulate Elections | Exclusive

Last Updated:June 10, 2026, 12:28 IST

The 12 refugee seats in the PoK Legislative Assembly, meant for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, have become a major flashpoint, with protesters demanding their abolition.

Pakistan’s military establishment has long used the structure of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Legislative Assembly to influence political outcomes in the occupied territory, top intelligence sources told CNN-News18.

At the centre of this alleged electoral manipulation are the 12 refugee seats in the PoK Assembly. These seats are meant for Kashmiri refugees who migrated from Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now settled across Pakistan, mainly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Top intelligence sources said the Pakistan military establishment treats these 12 seats as a direct tool to control government formation in Muzaffarabad. Sources alleged that Pakistan’s military chooses candidates for these refugee seats inside Pakistan and uses them to influence, manipulate and control the occupied territory’s legislature.

Sources further alleged that candidates linked to terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen have, on multiple occasions, been elected to the PoK Legislative Assembly through these refugee seats.

How The PoK Assembly Is Structured

The PoK Legislative Assembly has 53 seats. Of these, 45 are general seats, including 12 refugee seats.

While 33 seats represent constituencies located geographically inside PoK and are directly elected by voters living there, the 12 refugee seats are reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan.

Of these 12 seats, nine are in Pakistan’s Punjab province and three are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Apart from the 45 general seats, eight reserved seats are filled through proportional representation by elected members of the Assembly. These include five seats for women and one each for ulema, technocrats and overseas Kashmiris.

Who Votes On The 12 Refugee Seats?

The electoral college for the 12 refugee seats consists of registered Kashmiri refugees who migrated from Jammu and Kashmir during the conflicts of 1947 and 1965 and are currently settled in Pakistan.

The seats are divided on the basis of region of origin: six for refugees from the Jammu division and six for refugees from the Kashmir Valley division.

Unlike the 33 territorial constituencies inside PoK, voters for these 12 seats do not live in the occupied territory. They are spread across Pakistan, primarily in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

During PoK elections, the Election Commission sets up polling stations in Pakistani cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Peshawar to allow these voters to cast their ballots.

Why These Seats Are Seen As Pakistan’s Political Lever

The 12 refugee seats wield disproportionate influence in PoK politics. Out of the 45 directly elected seats, they account for more than one-fourth of the elected House.

This makes them a powerful swing bloc. Any party hoping to form a government in Muzaffarabad must win a sizeable number of these seats or secure the support of those who do.

Sources said this is exactly why Pakistan’s military establishment uses the refugee seats as an instrument of electoral engineering. Since these constituencies are spread across Pakistan rather than compact geographical areas inside PoK, independent candidates rarely have the resources, networks or logistical strength to compete effectively.

As a result, the contests are usually dominated by candidates backed by mainstream Pakistani parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, along with religious and extremist groups.

Why The Seats Are Under Fire

The refugee seats have recently become a major point of confrontation in PoK politics. The Joint Awami Action Committee has demanded their abolition, arguing that they unfairly allow Pakistan-based political parties and power centres to influence government formation in the occupied territory.

The demand has gained momentum amid wider protests and strikes in PoK over political representation, economic hardship and Islamabad’s control over local governance.

However, after a presidential reference, the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu and Kashmir issued an advisory opinion holding that the seats are constitutionally protected under Article 22 and cannot be abolished or altered without a formal constitutional amendment.

For protesters in PoK, the ruling has only deepened anger over what they see as an electoral structure designed to keep real political power outside the occupied territory.

Sources said the controversy has now reached a boiling point, with the JAAC placing the abolition or major reform of the 12 refugee seats among its key demands.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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