Deadly protests surge in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir ahead of Muzaffarabad march

Since early June, protests in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir have escalated into a mass movement led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Demonstrators are demanding the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for refugees, lower electricity tariffs, cheaper food and an end to the region's blockade. Security forces have responded with live fire, raids and mass arrests. Reported fatalities range from six to twenty‑eight civilians, with additional deaths among police and Rangers, and dozens more injured. The government has deployed roughly 4,000 Rangers, police and Frontier Corps troops, imposed internet blackouts and censored media. A long march toward the capital Muzaffarabad is scheduled for 15 July, with organizers estimating tens of thousands of participants. India’s foreign ministry has condemned the crackdown, calling it evidence of Pakistan’s “systemic exploitation” of the territory, while international observers have called for inquiries into alleged human‑rights abuses.