Srinagar: In an unprecedented security move, the Indian government has deployed 400 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in North Kashmir alone, ahead of the third and final phase of the disputed Assembly elections in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The deployment has turned the region into a heavily militarized zone, raising concerns over the legitimacy of the electoral process.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Deputy Inspector General of North Kashmir Range, Maqsood-ul-Zaman, confirmed the extensive deployment, which is in addition to the Army and Border Security Force personnel already stationed in the region. Multiple checkpoints and increased frisking operations have been reported along key highways, further tightening restrictions.

The elections, scheduled for October 1, will see 415 candidates contesting across 40 constituencies in 7 districts. However, critics argue that the process has become more of a military operation than a democratic exercise, citing the surge in suspensions of government employees and heightened security measures as evidence of India’s iron-fisted control over the region.