The unrest triggered by public protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continued on Thursday as the death toll crossed nine. Pakistani officials have airlifted more troops into the occupied territory to carry out a brutal crackdown on the people who have been taking to the streets seeking their basic rights.
The protest spilled onto the streets after talks between the government and people under the banner of Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) broke down. The JKJAAC had been seeking a 38-point charter of demands that included the end of special allowances for government officials and the supply of electricity and wheat at discounted rates, similar to subsidies in other parts of Pakistan.
The Pakistani officials responded by bringing in troops from Punjab and firing at people, killing five at Muzaffarabad, five in Dheerkot, and two in Dadyal regions. At least three police personnel have also been killed.
Interestingly, the Pakistan-appointed Prime Minister of PoK is now attempting to divert attention from people’s needs by naming India. “We do not want violence in Azad Kashmir, nor do we want our enemy to benefit from it,” PoK Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwar-ul-Haq said without naming India.
Anwar-ul-Haq vainly claimed that the majority of the demands had already been met before threatening people that the protests would not deliver results or provide a solution.
Interestingly, Pakistani media have been echoing the state’s baseless claims about India benefiting from the PoK protests despite being amply clear that the agitation was driven by the local public. A report that appeared in Daily Pakistan claimed that the “storm of lies” about the protests wasn’t something new and was “the latest chapter in a very old, and very tired, book” of New Delhi. “Networks linked to India’s notorious intelligence agency, RAW, were activated to flood social media with a deluge of falsehoods. Recycled videos, doctored images, and unrelated clips were repackaged and presented as evidence of an armed insurrection,” it claimed without evidence.
The attempt to deflect the narrative comes as footage floods social media, showing the public taking on law enforcement in the impoverished territory. Multiple videos on X show protests swelling across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir despite brutal force and media blackout. Many show angry agitators attacking the Army personnel who try to attack them.
Local leaders in PoK say that the Pakistani government and army are continuously plundering their resources. The JKJAAC claims that Pakistan is snatching away the rights of Kashmiris by using its army to open fire on them. The Pakistani government and army will have to give the rights of their people.