Out of 45 seats in the PoJK Legislative Assembly, 12 are reserved for “Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan”, while the remaining 33 represent residents of PoJK. Islamabad thus uses these seats to prop up their own representatives in the assembly, who can effectively influence governance. The elections are controlled by Islamabad, with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and other such parties dominating the process. Pakistan’s dominance in PoJK elections strengthens Islamabad’s grip on the region’s politics, while low turnout, boycotts, and violent clashes in subsequent poll charades reveal a deep crisis of legitimacy. Beyond electoral issues, residents complain of exploitation, where hydropower generated in PoJK is exported to Pakistan while locals face high tariffs.