Pakistan-administered Kashmir set to vote for president amid ongoing unrest

Lawmakers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir are set to vote for a new president, proceeding with the process despite seven vacant seats in districts that have been at the center of months of unrest.

The vote comes after a prolonged period of instability in parts of the region, though the specific causes and nature of the unrest that led to the vacant seats were not detailed in the available reporting.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir, formally known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir, holds its own legislative assembly and elects a president through its lawmakers, distinct from the presidency of Pakistan itself. The region has periodically experienced political and social tension tied to broader disputes over Kashmir's status.

It remains unclear how the vacant seats will affect the legitimacy or outcome of the vote, or when by-elections might be held to fill them. Authorities have not indicated whether the unrest is expected to affect the conduct of the presidential vote itself.

Further details on the candidates standing for the presidency and the vote's outcome are expected to follow as the process unfolds.