Protest leaders in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have openly questioned Pakistan’s role in the region and called for greater economic and political autonomy, signalling a new phase in a movement that initially erupted over rising electricity tariffs and wheat prices.
According to News18, at a recent gathering in Rawalakot, leaders of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the Awami Action Committee launched some of their sharpest attacks yet on Pakistan’s military establishment. They accused Islamabad of blocking supplies, exploiting local resources and preventing economic engagement with India.
Why is there unrest?
The latest assertions by protest leaders mark an evolution of a movement that began in 2024 as a mass agitation against soaring electricity tariffs, rising wheat prices and what residents described as Islamabad’s discriminatory economic policies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The protests, which drew thousands onto the streets across the region, eventually compelled Pakistan’s government to announce relief measures, including subsidies on wheat and cuts in electricity charges. While these concessions helped ease immediate economic grievances, protest leaders maintained that the underlying issues remained unresolved.
Over time, the movement’s focus has expanded beyond economic demands to include questions of political representation, control over local resources and the region’s relationship with Islamabad. In recent months, protest groups have increasingly challenged Pakistan’s administrative approach towards PoK, with some leaders calling for greater economic and political autonomy and a reassessment of policies that they say have restricted the region’s development.
According to News18, JAAC leader Sardar Aman told the Rawalakot gathering that Pakistan’s military establishment is creating economic pressure on the local population. “Pakistan military is stopping our food and rations,” Aman alleged, while claiming that authorities were attempting to weaken the protest movement through economic measures.
A key element of Aman’s speech was his call for alternative trade routes with India to be opened if Pakistan fails to guarantee adequate supplies and economic access to the region. Addressing supporters, he asserted that trade corridors would eventually open “either through Pakistan or through India,” signalling growing frustration with Islamabad’s economic policies.
Aman also challenged Pakistan’s long-standing argument that its military presence in the region is necessary to protect Kashmiris from India. “Defending against India is our issue, not your business,” he said.
Aman also accused Pakistan of exploiting the region’s natural resources. He alleged that Islamabad was “looting our waters and resources” while failing to adequately invest in local development.
PoJK Refugees urge UN to stop rights abuses by Pakistan
Jammu Tawi, Jun 17 : A Jammu-based organisation representing displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Wednesday appealed to the United Nations to intervene over alleged human rights violations and repression by Pakistani authorities on the people living across the border.
Addressing a press conference here, POJK (Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir) Visthapit Seva Samiti chairman Deepak Kapoor condemned the recent killings of innocent Kashmiris by Pakistani forces and expressed solidarity with the victim families.
“The residents of PoK are facing oppression and human rights violations at the hands of Pakistani forces. Their sufferings have rekindled memories of the displacement and hardships endured by our communities uprooted from the region decades ago,” Kapoor, a doctor by profession, said.
He said members of the displaced community stand firmly with the residents of PoJK and support their demands for dignity, rights and better living conditions.
Kapoor alleged that peaceful protests and demonstrations by residents seeking basic facilities, improved education and greater political representation have been met with harsh measures by the Pakistan Army and administration.
He urged the international community, particularly the United Nations, to take note of the situation and view the issue from a humanitarian perspective.
“We appeal to the UN and other international human rights organisations to examine the conditions prevailing in the region and work towards ensuring the protection of fundamental rights of the people living across the border,” he said.
Claiming that an increasing number of residents in PoK no longer wish to remain with Pakistan, Kapoor said they are increasingly drawn towards India after witnessing its development, democratic institutions and freedom of expression.
“A clear message is emerging from the region that many people do not want to remain with Pakistan and would prefer to be part of India,” he said.
Kapoor also appealed to the Centre to consider the growing voices emerging from PoK in favour of closer integration with India.
He reiterated the position that Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, along with other occupied territories, forms an integral part of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir that acceded to India on October 26, 1947.
“The ultimate objective is that displaced communities should be able to return to their ancestral homes and that the people currently living in these regions should be relieved of the hardships they face,” he said.
