Peace march in AJK's Sudhnoti demands early elections, end to blockades

Peace march in AJK's Sudhnoti demands early elections, end to blockades.

Key points

• Tariq Naqash Published September 1, 2026 Updated September 1, 2026 12: 00am.
• Organised by the Public Alliance Forum Sudhnoti, the march began at Kotli Chowk and passed through various streets before culminating in a public gathering at Kutchery Chowk.
• The PML-N's Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was elected as AJK PM after being sworn in last Friday.
• According to The AJK Election Commission, polling would only go ahead as scheduled in Bagh and Haveli as of reservations over the law and order situation.
• In the direct elections to 38 constituencies, the PML-N secured 25 seats while the PPP won 12.

Tariq Naqash Published September 1, 2026 Updated September 1, 2026 12: 00am. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

MUZAFFARABAD: Plenty of residents from different walks of life took part in a peace march on Monday in Palandri, the district headquarters of Sudhnoti in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), calling for an end to unrest and blockades and immediate elections in seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti.

Recent elections in the region, originally scheduled for July 27, were held in phases over security reservations against the backdrop of unrest in the region. The first phase was held on July 27, the second on Aug 2 and the third on Aug 10.

Meanwhile, the participants carried AJK and Pakistani flags, with banners bearing slogans such as "This homeland is ours, we are its guardians", "Unrest in the state is unacceptable", "Lawlessness in the state is unacceptable" and "What do we want? Peace!"

Representatives of the PML-N, PPP, Muslim Conference, Jamiat Ulema-I-Islam, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Party, Istehkam-I-Pakistan Party and PTI, alongside traders, lawyers, transporters, civil society representatives, educationists and ex-servicemen, addressed the gathering.

In a joint declaration, the participants pressed the governments of Pakistan and AJK to immediately hold elections in the seven constituencies of Poonch and Sudhnoti where polling could not take place during the recent AJK elections due to the law and order situation.

They additionally called on the immediate removal of blockades by both the administration and protesters, whether inside AJK or at entry points into Pakistan, to ease the public's difficulties in travelling and obtaining essential goods.

For context, the participants additionally demanded the restoration of travel and educational facilities, particularly in Sudhnoti and Poonch; the immediate restoration of internet services throughout AJK; and uninterrupted supplies of food and other essential commodities from Pakistan. They remarked restrictions on the movement of these goods had compounded the difficulties faced by the residents.

It additionally called on adequate supplies of wheat to flour mills to ensure the regular distribution of flour, uninterrupted availability of petrol and hassle-free processing of documents required by individuals travelling abroad.

Participants additionally expressed concern over rumours of the feasible relocation of educational and administrative institutions from Rawalakot. They demanded that the "endless sacrifices" created by the "brave, courageous and patriotic people" of the region for the Kashmir freedom movement and the "completion of Pakistan" should not be overlooked, urging the authorities to avoid any such step.

While AJK served as a "strong defence shield" for Pakistan, it reiterated that no one could weaken the "everlasting bond" between Kashmiris and Pakistan and that a solid and stable Pakistan was the guarantor of the freedom movement.

"Promoting instability in the region will not be allowed, " the participants declared.

In practice, the peace march additionally congratulated the administration of Pakistan and the armed forces for what it described as their role in promoting global peace.

Meanwhile, the PML-N's Barrister Syed Iftikhar Ali Gillani was elected as AJK PM after being sworn in last Friday. His sole contender was PPP's Sardar Mukhtar Ahmed Abbasi. This person bagged 14 votes in the contest for the top office.

For context, the third phase of polling was originally meant to cover all of Poonch Division. It comprises 11 constituencies, including three in Bagh, one in Haveli, five in Poonch district and two in Sudhnoti district.

In the direct elections to 38 constituencies, the PML-N secured 25 seats while the PPP won 12. The lone MLA-elect of the Awami Dast-o-Bazu party additionally joined hands with the PML-N. As for the reserved seats, the PML-N bagged six and the PPP two. The PPP alleged widespread rigging and irregularities in the elections.

Tariq Naqash is a Muzaffarabad-based senior staff correspondent for Dawn with almost three decades of experience in reporting, analysis, and feature writing. His work focuses on politics, conflict, and governance. He can be discovered on X at @tariqnaqash.

Taken together, the developments around peace march in AJK' s Sudhnoti demands early elections, end to blockades point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.