Rawalakot, Jul 5: Tensions have escalated across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) after the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) launched a major protest campaign on Sunday, demanding the release of its detained leaders and activists and accusing Pakistani authorities of suppressing peaceful dissent.
The rights group alleged that thousands of people, including women, children and the elderly, participated in demonstrations across several parts of PoJK despite a heavy security presence and an ongoing crackdown.
According to the JAAC, nearly 40,000 people gathered at the Sardar Ghulam Hussain Khan Sports Stadium in Abbaspor, while large crowds also assembled in other areas to press for what the organisation described as fundamental rights and democratic freedoms.
The committee alleged that Pakistani security forces opened fire and shelled a civilian gathering in the Dudial area, leaving several protesters seriously injured. These claims could not be independently verified.
The protests were triggered by the arrest of JAAC core committee member Shaukat Nawaz Mir, whose detention has drawn widespread criticism from the group and fuelled fresh demonstrations across the region.
The JAAC said women were leading peaceful marches in Rawalakot and Chak, while caravans of protesters continued to arrive at sit-in sites despite heightened security measures.
The agitation also drew support from the Kashmiri diaspora, with demonstrations reported in Auckland, New Zealand, where protesters demanded the release of Mir and other detained activists while raising slogans in support of the movement.
In a series of posts on X, the JAAC called for peaceful participation in the protests under the hashtag #ReleaseShoukatNawazMir, urging people across PoJK to join the campaign.
Videos circulated on social media showed JAAC leader Sardar Aman Khan alleging shortages of food and medicines in the region and appealing for support from people across Jammu and Kashmir. In separate speeches, he criticised Pakistani authorities over the alleged use of force against protesters and warned that continued repression would deepen public resentment.
The committee has called for peaceful demonstrations across all districts of PoJK, claiming that as many as 500,000 people could participate if 50,000 residents from each district joined the campaign. It urged protesters to carry white flags and maintain discipline while demanding basic rights.
The latest protests follow growing unrest in the region after Pakistani authorities reportedly prevented an opposition delegation from entering PoJK last month. Activists have also alleged that drones are being used to monitor protest sites and have called for a boycott of the local elections scheduled for July 27.
PoJK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza claimed that more than 600 JAAC workers and activists had been arrested following the detention of Shaukat Nawaz Mir and said demonstrations were also planned in London to highlight alleged human rights violations in the region.
The protests have also drawn international attention. Amnesty International recently criticised Pakistan’s decision to designate the JAAC as a “proscribed organisation,” describing the move as a disproportionate restriction on freedom of association and peaceful political activity.
Separately, protests highlighting the situation in PoJK were reported in the United Kingdom, where activist Mahmood Kashmiri criticised Pakistan’s handling of the region during a public event attended by Pakistan’s Consul General in Bradford. (Agencies)
