Pakistan blocks Al Jazeera over Kashmir protest coverage

Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has accused Al Jazeera of using “handpicked polling stations” and “scripted statements” in Muzaffarabad to “delegitimise”  the electoral process in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

We have taken note of Al Jazeera’s selective reporting from handpicked polling stations in Muzaffarabad today. Through carefully chosen timings and scripted statements from selected individuals, the channel has sought to misrepresent the AJK elections and the voting process.
Such…

— Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (@MoIB_Official) August 2, 2026

Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) posted on X that Pakistan had blocked the site following its reporting:

Pakistan has blocked access to Al Jazeera’s website following its reporting on the recent elections and the human rights situation in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Blocking independent journalism is an attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information.… pic.twitter.com/PybfN1TD5s

— JKJAAC (@JKJAAC_) August 3, 2026

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Al Jazeera reporting on Kashmir

Over the weekend, Al Jazeera had reported that residents of Muzaffarabad in AJK boycotted the election amid a strike. Protesters on camera were questioning how voting could proceed after unrest that had killed at least 80 people since June, according to local estimates. The network’s coverage highlighted widespread discontent and the tense atmosphere surrounding the polls.

Muzaffarabad’s residents, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, have boycotted the election amid a strike, with protesters questioning how voting could proceed after unrest that has killed at least 80 people since June, according to local estimates. Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder reports. pic.twitter.com/ZzjOYpHxZf

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 2, 2026

Journalist Kamal Hyder said in the video report that many residents viewed the low turnout as an expression of solidarity with the protest movement.

Rights groups intervening

Previously, Al Jazeera had reported that JAAC, a banned activist group, had boycotted the vote and staged protests over the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. This key demand, supporters say, is used by major Pakistani political parties to tip the composition of the local parliament in their favor with representatives who mostly live outside the region.

They also reported that Pakistani authorities had banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws in June and that banking, roads, and internet services had been largely disrupted since then, hindering the flow of information. Rights groups had raised concerns over the ban and urged authorities to restore communications access and allow media and independent observers into the area.

And, as Al Jazeera reported:

Rights group Amnesty International called the reports of lethal force against protesters in the area “disturbing” and urged an investigation.

Pear Pandya, a senior analyst at conflict monitor ACLED, said the violence in Pakistan-administered Kashmir “is bound to overshadow the legitimacy of the entire electoral exercise”.

At the time of writing, Al Jazeera’s website remained inaccessible in Pakistan, with no official confirmation from the government on when or whether access would be restored.

Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Al Jazeera English

By The Canary

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