Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Massive anti-Pakistan protests have engulfed Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, with hundreds of supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee blocking roads and vowing to maintain their agitation until their demands are met. A territory-wide shutdown has brought daily life to a complete standstill in the region, following what has become the deadliest unrest in PoJK in years, leaving at least 24 people dead in nearly two weeks of continuous protests.
The unrest was triggered ahead of a June 9 strike called by JAAC against the Pakistan government’s decision to reserve 12 seats for refugees in the upcoming elections to the region’s 45-seat Legislative Assembly, scheduled for July 27. The JAAC and its supporters argue that the move unfairly tilts political representation in favour of refugees settled in the region at the expense of the original population of PoJK.
The protests have drawn wide international attention, with demonstrators openly voicing their opposition to Pakistani military presence and administration. Members of the BJP PoJK Refugee Cell also staged separate demonstrations, raising their voices against the Pakistan Army over the killing of civilians during the crackdown on protesters.
The scale and intensity of the unrest in PoJK reflects long-simmering grievances over governance, economic neglect, and political marginalisation that have persisted in the region under Pakistani administration. Residents have repeatedly complained of economic distress, lack of electricity, rising inflation, and an administration they say is unresponsive to the needs of the people.
For India, which asserts its territorial claim over the entire erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, including the area under Pakistani control, the situation in PoJK remains a matter of close observation. Indian officials and political leaders have consistently pointed to the conditions in PoJK as evidence of the stark contrast with governance on the Indian side of the Line of Control.
