Pakistan's Brutal Crackdown on JAAC Protests in Azad Kashmir

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By Waheeda Jammu Kashmiri

The so-called “Azad” Kashmir is bleeding again. Since June 5, the Pakistan Army and its puppets have unleashed a reign of terror on peaceful protesters demanding basic rights. We are not asking for the moon—we want flour, electricity, water, and an end to the mockery of our political system. Yet, in response, they shoot our children, raid our homes at night, violate our mothers and sisters, and now even target their own employees and soldiers who show a shred of humanity or sympathy for our just cause. This is not governance; this is naked occupation and tyranny.

The Spark: 12 Reserved Seats and the Cry for Genuine Rights

The main dispute that ignited this latest uprising revolves around the 12 seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) rightly argues that these seats give non-residents undue influence over our politics. How can outsiders decide our fate while we, the real residents, suffer daily blackouts, shortages, and humiliation?

JAAC’s demands go far beyond this—they call for broader political reforms, genuine autonomy, and an end to exploitation. In protest, they called a region-wide wheel-jam strike and a long march toward Muzaffarabad. Markets, businesses, and public transport largely shut down across the region as our people stood united. Instead of listening, Pakistan deployed around 14,000 security forces and imposed harsh internet restrictions to hide their crimes from the world.

Atrocities Since June 5: A Catalogue of State Terror

What followed is nothing short of state-sponsored brutality. Pakistani forces have turned our valleys into killing fields. Here are the bitter truths, backed by eyewitness, videos circulating from the ground, and reports:

Eight Kashmiri daughters have been arrested in Muzaffarabad. Our sisters are being dragged away for daring to raise their voices.
Food supply trucks are being prevented from entering Kashmir. Medicines are seized. Pakistani forces have taken control of hospitals, blocking medical care for the injured and pregnant women. Fears of a major humanitarian disaster are growing.
Those peacefully demanding flour, electricity, and water are shot with live ammunition. Unarmed civilians, hospitals, and worshippers have been fired upon. People have been prevented from offering Friday prayers.
Pakistani Army personnel break doors and windows, raid homes at night when our brothers are out protesting. They harass women and children. Sexual violence against our sisters are heart-wrenching.
In this ongoing brutality, people from a 2-year-old child to a 70-year-old elder have been martyred. At least 30 people killed and over 1,000 injured in clashes. Hundreds of Kashmiri youths’ bodies have been taken away by Pakistani forces—where are they? Families are left in agony.
In Rawalakot, forces are looting jewelry shops, hotels, and bakeries. At Sawah Bokra, they burned four motorcycles and destroyed two others. Even pregnant women are not safe from this savagery.

New Depth of Repression: In a desperate attempt to crush any sympathy for the movement, the Pakistan Army has compiled a list of around 100 serving and retired government employees, as well as army personnel, for allegedly participating in or facilitating the sit-ins organized by JAAC. This list has been forwarded to relevant authorities for disciplinary action. Even those who wear their uniform or serve in offices are not safe if they show solidarity with their own Kashmiri brothers and sisters. This proves how deep the fear of our united voice has shaken the occupiers.

Core JAAC leaders like Umar Nazir, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, and Khawaja Mehran, along with around 150 members of the Public Action Committee, have been placed on the Fourth Schedule. Their CNICs, passports, and bank accounts are blocked. They face strict monitoring. The AJK government has banned JAAC under anti-terrorism laws. Pakistan has announced a 1 crore rupee reward for information leading to the arrest of core members including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Sardar Umar Nazir, Khawaja Mehran, and AAC leader Sardar Amman Khan.

This Is Not Freedom—This Is Colonial Brutality

Azad Kashmir is not Pakistan. We have our own identity, and we reject this occupation disguised as “brotherhood.” Pakistani forces treat our land as a “conquered territory” and plan to merge it fully. Our peaceful movement is met with bullets, raids, and blackouts, while they spread propaganda.

Videos and documentation from the ground show indiscriminate firing on civilians, children, elderly, pregnant women, hospitals, and places of worship. Our diaspora is protesting in London and elsewhere, demanding the UN send a fact-finding mission immediately.

We, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, stand firm. JAAC’s struggle is our struggle—for dignity, for resources, for the right to decide our own future without outsiders controlling our assembly or our lives.

The blood of our martyrs will not be in vain. We demand:

Immediate withdrawal of extra forces and end to raids on homes.
Restoration of internet and humanitarian access (food, medicines).
Release of all arrested, including our daughters.
End to targeting government employees and army personnel who support rights.
Genuine political rights, abolition of the disputed reserved seats, and respect for our identity.
United Nation intervention to expose these atrocities.

We will not bow down. The world must see our truth. #RightsMovementAJK

About Author

Waheeda Kashmiri

I am a Computer Science student originally from Mirpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and currently based in London. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am deeply committed to writing, with a particular focus on local and political issues affecting my homeland. As a contributor to KiNewsHD, I strive to amplify underrepresented perspectives and foster greater awareness through thoughtful, informed commentary.

I am a co-founder of JFJK and previously served as President of its UK zone, where I advocated for the rights and voices of the Kashmiri people, including the aspiration for an independent Jammu and Kashmir. In addition to my advocacy work, I am the founder of K2 Creative Agency, reflecting my interest in creative expression and digital engagement.

As a feminist, I am guided by a strong belief in equality and social justice. I use my platform to engage with issues that matter, drawing inspiration from Shaheed Maqbool Butt, whose legacy continues to shape my perspectives and commitment to activism.