Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir protests intensify amid crackdown, blockade

Protests in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK) have entered a third week, with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leading daily sit‑ins and mass rallies. Demonstrators demand the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, lower power tariffs, subsidies for wheat flour, jobs, better healthcare and education, and reforms of the judiciary and bureaucracy. Over 50,000 people gathered at Rawalakot’s Eidgah Ground, while the movement’s charter of 38 points continues to drive the agitation.

Pakistan’s security forces have responded with a violent crackdown. Reports cite dozens of deaths, the killing of security personnel, and the detention or disappearance of more than 1,500 protesters. The army and Pakistan Rangers have imposed an internet blackout, blocked roads, and allegedly prevented trucks carrying food, fuel and medicines from entering the region, creating a humanitarian squeeze. The Pakistani government has labeled many protest leaders as terrorists under Schedule 5 and added 150 activists to the anti‑terror list.

Defence Minister Khwaja Asif sparked further controversy by questioning the Kashmiri identity of Rawalakot and Mirpur residents and accusing India of backing the movement. He also warned that Pakistan would not hesitate to resume war over the Indus Waters Treaty. Indian officials dismissed the accusations as “the ravings of jackals.”

Civil‑society groups, academics and diaspora organisations have called for dialogue, the lifting of the communications blackout, and the reversal of the terrorist designation of JAAC. International observers note growing disinformation from Pakistani state‑linked social‑media accounts and warn that the situation could deteriorate further if the blockade and security operations continue.