Eight civilians were killed on Wednesday after Pakistan’s security forces opened fire during the third consecutive day of violent protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The unrest, led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), has seen widespread demonstrations across Muzaffarabad, Bagh, and Mirpur, where locals accuse Islamabad of denying them fundamental rights for decades.
According to local sources, four people were killed in Dhirkot in Bagh district, two in Muzaffarabad, and two in Mirpur. With earlier deaths reported on Tuesday, the total toll has now risen to 10. The protests, ongoing for over 72 hours, have triggered a complete shutdown of markets, businesses, and transport. Internet services have also been suspended in the region.
The JAAC, spearheading the long march to Muzaffarabad, has issued a list of 38 demands, including the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, arguing that these undermine representative governance in PoK. Leaders have also called for compensation and government jobs for families of those killed in clashes, insisting on equal treatment to the aid provided to slain police officers’ families.
Videos from the ground show protesters pushing shipping containers into rivers to break police barricades, while Pak Rangers and the Army responded with heavy firing and shelling. JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir warned Islamabad that the strike was only plan A and that backup strategies, including a severe plan D, were prepared if demands remained unmet.
The protests have taken an international turn as well, with demonstrations planned outside the Pakistan High Commission in London by Friends of Joint Awami Action Committee. Meanwhile, Islamabad has deployed thousands of additional troops from Punjab and the capital region, holding flag marches to quell unrest.
The crisis in PoK follows another tragedy just last week, when Chinese-made JF-17 fighter jets dropped laser-guided bombs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing 30 civilians. With growing discontent across multiple provinces, Pakistan faces mounting challenges to both its domestic stability and international image.
