Political unrest in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir: Democratic Legitimacy, Governance, and Regional Security in a Contested Territory.

Abstract

Political unrest in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) has intensified debate concerning democratic legitimacy, constitutional governance, electoral integrity, and regional security in South Asia. While existing scholarship largely examines POK within the India–Pakistan dispute, comparatively limited attention has been given to its internal political dynamics, institutional performance, and governance structures. This study addresses this gap through an integrated framework combining Democratic Legitimacy Theory, State Capacity Theory, Centre–Periphery Theory, and Conflict Transformation Theory. The study employs a qualitative case study design based exclusively on secondary data, including constitutional documents, government publications, international reports, peer-reviewed scholarship, policy papers, and credible media sources. Documentary evidence is examined through qualitative content and thematic analysis, focusing on constitutional arrangements, governance performance, electoral contestation, institutional accountability, and state–society relations. The findings indicate that contemporary political unrest in POK results not from isolated political events but from the interaction of governance deficits, contested constitutional arrangements, declining institutional trust, and perceptions of limited political responsiveness. Electoral legitimacy constitutes only one dimension of broader democratic legitimacy, while governance effectiveness significantly influences public confidence in political institutions. Constitutional ambiguity, administrative shortcomings, and competing political narratives further shape political mobilisation and institutional credibility. The study also highlights the wider regional significance of political stability in contested territories. By integrating domestic governance, constitutional politics, and regional strategic dynamics, it contributes to comparative scholarship on contested territories, democratic governance, and conflict transformation. It further suggests that strengthening institutional accountability, inclusive participation, governance effectiveness, and constructive political dialogue is essential for sustainable political stability. Keywords: Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), democratic legitimacy, electoral contestation, governance, constitutional governance, state capacity, conflict transformation, regional security.