Protests surge in Pakistan‑Occupied Kashmir over military crackdown and internet shutdown

Thousands of people across Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir (PoK) took to the streets on July 5, following a call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) for a region‑wide strike. Demonstrators demanded the release of detained leaders such as Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the withdrawal of Pakistani security forces, and the restoration of internet services that have been blocked.

The protests featured sit‑ins, shutter‑down strikes and rallies in towns including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Mirpur. Security forces responded with heavy deployment, tear‑gas, live fire and reported use of drones, resulting in at least one fatality and numerous injuries. Over 600 activists have been arrested, and the internet blackout has crippled freelancers, students and e‑commerce workers.

Diaspora groups have staged solidarity marches in London and disrupted a Pakistani diplomat’s speech at the Bradford Literature Festival in the UK, where activist Mahmood Kashmiri accused Pakistan of a humanitarian siege. PoK leaders have also appealed to the Indian government to open the LoC in the Poonch‑Doda sector to allow humanitarian aid. The unrest has drawn condemnation from human‑rights organisations such as Amnesty International.