Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is facing rising tensions as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has called for a widespread lockdown protest on June 9 over 38 unmet demands. The region remains tense following earlier violence, including the killing of a JAAC leader by security forces, subsequent internet shutdowns, and the banning of the group. Residents continue to express deep frustration over chronic electricity shortages, high inflation, unemployment, exploitation of local resources, and political marginalisation.
The Muzaffarabad Agreement signed in October last year has not been fully implemented, adding to public discontent.
Critics highlight structural issues such as the 12 “refugee” seats allegedly used to extend Islamabad’s control, the autonomy-limiting 13th Amendment, and the contrast between Pakistan’s official narrative and the ground realities of repression in the region. In a report for the Centre for Peace Studies, Idrees Aftab noted, “In so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the situation is now turning increasingly serious. On 9th June, a lockdown protest call has been announced by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), accusing the Pakistani government of repeatedly betraying the aspirations of the people of the region.”
The JAAC has warned of large-scale demonstrations, shutdown strikes, wheel-jam protests, a long march, and an indefinite sit-in if its demands are ignored. The planned agitation centres on the implementation of 38 specific demands concerning governance, basic rights, and long-standing socio-economic grievances.
Protests have reportedly already begun in various parts of PoK ahead of the planned June 9 shutdown, demonstrating the growing frustration of people and escalating repression. The situation escalated after Pakistani security forces allegedly opened fire on people near Khaigla Burma Bridge in Rawalakot, leading to the death of JAAC executive member Shahzaib Habib and the injury of several others, according to the Centre for Peace Studies report.
Reports have indicated that telecom and internet services in PoK have been suspended, while additional contingents of the Pakistan Federal Police and Pakistan Rangers have been deployed to Muzaffarabad ahead of the protest. In addition, Pakistani authorities have banned the JAAC, declaring it a proscribed organisation and accusing it of being involved in terrorism, acting in a manner “prejudicial to peace and security” of the state, and “creating anarchy in the state by intimidating the public, promoting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in society”.
These developments have intensified tensions in PoK and sparked fears that the region could see a much larger wave of unrest in the coming days.
JAAC leaders have said that Pakistan has not implemented its promises and commitments about constitutional, electoral, and governance reforms and instead has tried to suppress and weaken the movement. The JAAC has urged residents to stockpile essential supplies for at least a month in preparation for a prolonged shutdown. It has been announced that no political election rallies will be allowed in the region until the authorities agree to their demands.
In October last year, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), a coalition of traders, lawyers, and civil society groups, unveiled a 38-point charter outlining a wide range of demands.
According to the report in the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the demands in the 38-point charter include the restoration of a flour subsidy and control of inflation, the end of privileges available to judges and civil servants, the withdrawal of unjust taxes, and the reservation of jobs for Kashmiris in the federal government of Pakistan.
Additionally, it called for financial aid for traders, cancellation of the PoK Bank’s merger with the State Bank of Pakistan, the abolition of toll plazas, a ban on timber smuggling, and the construction of hostels for students in different towns.
JK-JAAC Core Committee member, Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri, also issued an appeal to the international media and global human rights organisations, calling for immediate attention to the ongoing crisis in PoK.
Since September 29, a peaceful public protest movement in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has faced severe state repression, including human rights violations, curbs on civil liberties, and the killing of innocent civilians.
According to a statement issued by the JK-JAAC in October last year, state forces and non-local personnel carried out indiscriminate firing, killing at least nine unarmed civilians and injuring hundreds more.
The statement further noted that, since September 28, the Pakistani government has imposed a complete communication blackout across PoK, suspending mobile networks, internet services, and landline connections. This effectively isolated millions of residents from the outside world.
