8 civilians killed in PoK in firing by Pak forces
New Delhi: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) witnessed its deadliest day of protests on Wednesday, with eight civilians killed in clashes with security forces, bringing the total death toll to ten in the past three days of unrest. According to sources, four deaths were reported in Dhirkot, Bagh district, while two occurred in Muzaffarabad and another
two in Mirpur. A day earlier, two civilians had died in Muzaffarabad. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which is spearheading the agitation, has blamed the killings on gunfire and heavy shelling by Pakistan Rangers and the Army.
Protests have engulfed PoK since the start of the week, marked by a complete shutdown of shops, markets, and businesses and a suspension of transport services. Demonstrators accuse Islamabad of decades-long neglect and denial of basic rights. “Our campaign is for fundamental rights denied to our people for over 70 years... either deliver on rights or face the wrath of the people,” JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir said.
The committee has presented 38 demands, including the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees based in Pakistan. Locals argue these seats dilute fair representation in PoK’s governance.
Protesters have also demanded that families of those killed be compensated on par with payouts to families of two policemen who died during the unrest and that jobs be offered to surviving dependents.
The JAAC has called for the Muslim Conference, allegedly supported by Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, to be designated as a terrorist organisation. It has also sought the release of all protesters detained in PoK and Pakistan.
The demonstrations have turned increasingly confrontational. On Wednesday morning, protesters hurled stones at security personnel and toppled shipping containers placed on bridges to block their march toward Muzaffarabad.
Despite roadblocks, several caravans have reportedly broken through to join the protest in the city.
Authorities have responded with force. Dawn reported that heavily armed patrols staged flag marches across PoK towns, while thousands of additional troops from Punjab province and 1,000 from Islamabad were deployed. Internet access in the region has also been restricted.
Meanwhile, support for the agitation has begun spreading abroad. A group calling itself “Friends of Joint Awami Action Committee” has announced a protest outside the Pakistan High Commission in London on Thursday.
The unrest comes days after a separate tragedy in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where 30 civilians were killed when Chinese-made JF-17 jets dropped LS-6 laser-guided bombs on a village.
The incident has fuelled anger in a region already reeling from an increase in terrorist activity, including reports of groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed establishing new bases there.
