At least 15 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, local authorities say.
The violence comes after an alliance of activist groups called on people to protest against the reservation of legislative seats for refugees who migrated to Pakistan from Indian-administered Kashmir decades ago.
Authorities responded by accusing the group of sedition and violence, banning it and offering a bounty for the arrest of its leaders.
This did not stop thousands of people marching towards the regional capital Muzaffarabad, angry that nearly a quarter of assembly seats remain reserved for people living outside the territory.
Those killed in the recent clashes include 11 civilians and four security officers.
Local officials say that a massive convoy of protesters – more than 10,000 by official estimates – is 4km (2.4 miles) outside the city of Rawalkot.
The Poonch district commissioner of Pakistan-administered Kashmir Sardar Waheed Khan told BBC Urdu that security officials were patrolling the area to ensure law and order, while residents had been told not to leave their homes.
He added that the convoy of protesters would not be allowed to pass through Rawalkot to go to Muzaffarabad.
