India has condemned the violent crackdown on demonstrators in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), asserting that the territory is an integral part of the country and calling for Islamabad to be held accountable for “horrific human rights violations.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the ongoing unrest in PoK reflects decades of systemic exploitation and repression by Pakistan. “We have seen reports on protests in several areas of Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir, including brutalities by Pakistani forces on innocent civilians. We believe that it is a natural consequence of Pakistan’s oppressive approach and its systemic plundering of resources from these territories, which remain under its forcible and illegal occupation. Pakistan must be held accountable for its horrific human rights violations," the MEA stated.
The unrest marks one of the largest protest waves in PoK in recent years. Thousands of residents from Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakot and Neelum Valley took to the streets after negotiations between the Awami Action Committee (AAC), a coalition of traders, lawyers and civil groups, and Pakistani authorities collapsed. The AAC launched a “shutter-down and wheel-jam strike,” paralysing daily life.
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AAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir told reporters, “Our campaign is not against any institution but for the fundamental rights denied to our people for over 70 years. Enough is enough.”
Reports indicate several people have been killed and dozens injured after Pakistani forces opened fire on protesters. Markets remain closed, public transport has halted, and heavy security is deployed across the region amid widespread detentions.
At the heart of the agitation is a 38-point charter of demands, which protesters say addresses decades of neglect and broken promises. While many demands focus on essential needs such as subsidised flour, sugar and ghee, fair electricity tariffs, and access to local hydropower, others challenge the political structure, including scrapping 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees, curbing elite privileges, and reforming the judiciary to tackle corruption.
The charter also seeks broader socio-economic measures: tax relief for traders, acceleration of delayed infrastructure projects, improved schools and hospitals, equitable job opportunities for local youth, housing for disaster-affected families, and fairer policies for farmers.
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