Pakistan-occupied Kashmir protests intensify as opposition convoy blocked

Security forces halted an opposition convoy led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai near Kahuta, preventing senior politicians—including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi—from reaching Rawalakot to meet leaders of the Awami Action Committee (AAC). The block was intended to avoid a political flare‑up in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Protests organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee have spread across PoK, with a death toll of 22 and reports of a two‑year‑old girl killed in Kotli. Rangers and police have conducted raids, arresting dozens of activists and imposing internet restrictions. Leaders are urging residents to prepare for a march to Muzaffarabad despite a recent ban on the group. Demonstrations have also taken place in the United Kingdom, outside the Pakistan High Commission in London and other diplomatic sites, showing diaspora solidarity with the PoK agitation.