Imran Khan’s party said its poll boycott was an act of solidarity with Kashmiris protesting Islamabad’s policies, as demonstrators warned they may seek “other roads” if food restrictions continued — a remark seen as hinting at closer engagement with India.

Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that it will boycott the upcoming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled for July 27, saying it will not take part in the electoral process as protests against Islamabad’s years of neglect intensify.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Imran Khan-founded party said the move was not meant for any political gain or loss. The party said the decision had been taken to show solidarity with the Kashmiris and respect for democracy, and added that it would not participate in the electoral process until an independent, just and peaceful political environment was established.

PTI, the former ruling party and currently the major opposition party at the Centre, linked its decision to the ongoing protests organised by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The announcement comes after the POK government imposed a ban on the JAAC on June 5 under the Anti-Terrorism Act following violent protests.

The political situation in POK has further intensified after massive protests near the Line of Control, where thousands of demonstrators declared that “POK is not part of Pakistan”, entered their fourth week. The protesters warned Islamabad that continued restrictions on food supplies could force residents to seek “other roads”, a remark widely interpreted as signalling closer engagement with India.

The demonstration at Rawalakot’s Eidgah Ground emerged as one of the strongest challenges yet to Pakistan’s control over the region. Protesters accused the Pakistani government and security forces of decades of political neglect, economic exploitation and administrative repression. They also alleged that the authorities had imposed a blockade on essential food supplies in an attempt to weaken the movement.

Addressing the gathering, JAAC leader Sardar Amman Khan delivered a strong speech against Islamabad and said that POK did not belong to Pakistan. “POK is not a part of Pakistan. We do not need Pakistan; rather, it is Pakistan that desperately needs POK,” he told the crowd. His remarks drew loud applause from demonstrators, many of whom waved flags and shouted slogans against Pakistan’s administration.

The protest is part of an anti-government movement that has gathered momentum in parts of POK in recent weeks. Thousands of people have continued their sit-in at Rawalakot for more than three weeks despite increasing pressure from the authorities, as PTI’s boycott has added another political dimension to the tense atmosphere ahead of the July 27 election.