Pakistan says Al Jazeera’s ‘Yellow Journalism’ twisted Azad Kashmir Elections Reality

ISLAMABAD – Before ballots finished telling on-ground reality in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, global media, including Al Jazeera shared reports on AJK elections. Pakistan’s Information Ministry responded and accused Al Jazeera of “yellow journalism,” saying the broadcaster’s selective coverage from Muzaffarabad misrepresented the polling process and pushed a misleading narrative about the elections.

Ministry of Information criticized Qatar based media giant over its coverage of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, saying the broadcaster presented one-sided account that failed to reflect the overall polling process.

The ministry said it had taken notice of Al Jazeera’s reporting from small number of polling stations in Muzaffarabad, alleging that the network focused on selected locations and aired comments from a limited group of people to portray the elections in a negative light.

The report gave viewers distorted picture of the voting process by showing isolated scenes instead of the broader electoral exercise taking place across the region. It argued that such coverage served the interests of external actors seeking to undermine the credibility of the elections and question the democratic mandate of the people of Azad Kashmir.

The ministry maintained that voters across Muzaffarabad and other parts of AJK turned out to cast their ballots, saying the electorate had demonstrated its faith in the democratic process despite political tensions and recent unrest. It added that the public had rejected what it described as the politics of disruption and intimidation through the power of the vote.

The criticism came after Al Jazeera reported that many residents in Muzaffarabad had stayed away from polling stations during a strike, with protesters questioning how voting could continue after weeks of unrest. The broadcaster also said that at least 80 people had been killed since June in protests and the subsequent security crackdown.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said the election should be viewed in the context of the overall voting process rather than through isolated incidents, saying that Al Jazeera’s coverage did not fairly represent the conduct of the polls in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.