Remember 13 May: Pakistan Killed 3 Kashmiris in Muzaffarabad

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By Waheeda Jammu Kashmiri

I was born in Mirpur, but today I live in the UK. My body may have crossed oceans, but my soul is still buried in the soil of Pakistan-administered Jammu & Kashmir. And on 13 May 2024, that soil turned red with the blood of my people — shot by the same state that claims to “protect” us.

I am writing this as a Kashmiri woman, a daughter of resistance, and a witness to the truth — even from afar. Because what happened on 13 May is not just another date. It is a day of mourning, a day of rage, a day of awakening.

Let me tell you what Pakistan doesn’t want the world to know.

It Started with Bread and Dignity – Not Guns

This wasn’t about politics or power. It was about survival. In early May 2024, ordinary Kashmiris across AJK — came together under the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

Their demand? Affordable flour. Electricity. Clean governance.

But what they got instead was brutality.

Police raided homes without warrants.
Women and children were terrorised in midnight raids.
Students were choked by tear gas inside classrooms.
Peaceful protesters were lathi-charged, shot, and abused in the streets.

And still, the people did not give up. Instead, they organised the biggest civil uprising AJK has seen in decades.

The Killings of 13 May – The Day Rangers Opened Fire

On 13 May, over 1,300 Pakistan Rangers entered AJK from Murree and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Helicopters circled overhead like vultures. Snipers were deployed. Convoys rolled in like an army heading to war.

And war it was — a war against unarmed, hungry, desperate Kashmiris.

At Palate, Brarkot, and Chela in Muzaffarabad, the Rangers opened fire on protesters. I know their names. We must say their names:

Saqi, son of Fayyaz – shot dead at Palate.
Zaheer Chaudhry, son of Chaudhry Masri – gunned down at Chela.
Waqar Ahmed, son of Babu – murdered at Brarkot.

These were not terrorists. They were not holding weapons. They were our brothers, our future, our voice.

They were murdered for asking for their basic rights.

Pakistan’s Message: “Electricity Is Not Free – But Death Is”

Let the world hear what the so-called “Prime Minister” of AJK, Anwar-ul-Haq, said while his people bled in the streets:

“While death may be free, electricity is not.”

That sentence is not just offensive. It is the confession of a failed regime. A colonial governor in a Pakistani uniform — mocking the dead of Muzaffarabad.

I ask the world: What kind of state kills children to defend a power bill?

13 May Will Live in History – And So Will We

This is not the end. Every year, we will mark 13 May as Martyrs’ Day in AJK. We will remember Saqi, Zaheer, and Waqar — not as victims, but as symbols of resistance.

To the people of AJK: You are not alone. Your blood echoes across oceans.
To Pakistan: You can shoot our people, shut down our networks, even kidnap our journalists — but you will never silence the truth.

We are watching. We are recording. And we are rising.