Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is on edge after two people were killed and at least 22 others injured when police opened fire on protesters in Muzaffarabad on Sunday. The violence came amid a region-wide shutdown and demonstrations over the government’s failure to address the demands of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
Rallies and strikes paralysed Mirpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad as anger mounted against the administration. Protesters accused political leaders of trying to weaken the movement but vowed to continue until their demands were met.
“The sitting MNA of Kotli tried for days to derail this movement but failed,” one protester said. Another added, “People were threatened and intimidated, but today, everyone is standing firm for their rights. Last night was quiet, but today the streets are filled with noise and determination. Until the demands of the Joint Awami Action Committee are met, protests will continue with full force.”
In Mirpur, locals staged bike rallies and shouted slogans calling for immediate redress of JAAC’s demands. Kotli saw massive gatherings at a central chowk, underscoring what participants described as a “united front” for justice and accountability.
The JAAC — also known as the Jammu Kashmir Awami Action Committee — has presented a wide-ranging charter that seeks economic relief, greater political autonomy, and reforms in governance. Among their demands are the elimination of privileges for the ruling elite, abolition of 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan, and direct royalties from hydropower projects to PoK.
They also seek subsidised wheat flour on par with Gilgit-Baltistan, electricity tariffs linked to local generation costs from the Mangla Hydropower Project, and the restoration of student unions through democratic processes.
The deaths in Muzaffarabad have further inflamed public sentiment, turning what began as economic and political demands into a larger confrontation with authorities.
