The situation in Muzaffarabad has escalated dramatically as Pak Army began firing live rounds at protesters, killing 3 Kashmiris on Monday. More than 30 people have also been injured.

The unrest in Muzaffarabad intensified as protesters set Ranger vehicles on fire. In response, Rangers opened fire on the crowd, leaving at least 30 people injured and resulting in the deaths of three protesters. The atmosphere in the city has become highly volatile, with fears of further violence looming.

This came after Pakistan announced a multi-million dollar grant to provide urgent economic relief to the Kashmiris on Monday. The incident clearly shows that while Pakistan government seemed kneeling down in front of the demands of POJK Joint Awami Action Committee, the real controller of Pakistan, the Pak Army took revenge on people for their loss.

Adding to the tension, four helicopters carrying Pakistan Army commandos arrived in Muzaffarabad. Local sources confirm that Special Services Group (SSG) personnel were on the scene, further heightening the sense of urgency and danger.

The situation remains fluid, with ongoing reports of clashes and a heavy military presence in the city. The protests, which began as a peaceful demonstration for basic rights, have now turned into a deadly confrontation, marking a significant escalation in the region’s unrest.

Meanwhile, the Kashmiris living in Britain also started to protest against Pakistani establishment outside its assembly in London.

After the initial hurdles due to Pakistani FC forces’ crackdown on peaceful civilians protesting for basic rights, multiple processions from across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) are converging towards Muzaffarabad.

The processions are reaching Muzaffarabad from various regions, including Kotli, Poonch, Dadyal, Rawalkot, Mirpur, Tattapani, Bagh, and Hajira.

As protesters marching towards Muzaffarabad reached Rawlakot on May 12, the Pakistani Establishment extended an invitation to the POJK Joint Awami Action Committee leadership for a dialogue. The dialogue, which took place in Rawlakot, saw representation from the Establishment, including the GOC Murree, some Pakistan Army Officers stationed in Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir (POJK), and the Chief Secretary of Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir.

Despite the dialogue, the POJK AAC’s demands were not accepted by the Establishment, resulting in the failure of the negotiations. Consequently, the committee decided to persist with their Long March.

As the protesters arrived in Dhirkot, they took a moment to rest before setting off once again towards Muzaffarabad today, continuing their journey and their pursuit of their demands.

Additionally, a procession from Bagh is also on its way to reach Muzaffarabad, where the marchers have shown great resilience and remained undeterred by bad weather and rains.

In an address to the public, Awami Action Committee leader Shaukat Mir emphasized that the movement is about rights, attributing credit to the people of Poonch who initiated the demand in the early days. He stressed that the fight for rights should continue and that the rights of the people remain paramount and cannot be compromised for personal gains.

Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) witnessed a tumultuous turn of events on May 11 as tensions between the Pak FC forces and protestors reached a boiling point.

The FC forces initiated a crackdown on protestors, resorting to tactics such as gunfire, tear gas shelling, and stone pelting, leaving dozens injured.

According to reports, in Mirpur, FC personnel disguised in civilian attire aggravated the situation, inciting the mob towards violent actions. As a result of the clashes, more than 60 Kashmiri protestors. Additionally, around 50 FC personnel were injured during the confrontation.

In few instances, the FC forces were beaten and chased while they trie to flee from the clutches of agitated protestors, who turned violent after Pak lawlessness.

The situation became out if control as people started confronting Pak forces with some picture emerging of Pakistan FC forces caught and made to leave their uniform which social media took as a reminiscent of 1971. Additionally an FC personal was thrown from the cliff.

In solidarity with the people of POJK, a rally was taken out by the Awami Action Committe of Pal occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (POGB) from Palace Hotel to Ittehad Chowk in Gilgit city. They protested the arrest of the leaders of POJK Awami Action Committe.

Meanwhile, the processions from across POJK started moving towards Muzaffarabad on May 11 but faced road blocks as many roads towards Muzaffarabad were blocked by GC forces.

Slogans of “Hum leke rahenge azaadi, him chheen ke lenge azaadi” were raised across POJK.

Awami Action Committe Chairman warns Pak forces

The Awami Action Committe chairman Shaukat Nawaz Mir vehemently condemned the Pak brutality and warned that any further arrest would lead to a direct confrontation.

Notably, these protests started by the J&K Joint Awami Action Committee a year ago, demanding the subsidised wheat, electric power, royalty on the power generated from Kashmiri resources, among others.

What are the protests actually for?

The Awami Action Committee had issued a Charter of Demands highlighting its course of action and demands.
In the course of one year, POJK saw women’s protest, children protest, complete shutdown, school students’ protest but Pakistan remained unmoved by the ordeal of protestors, who were out on road in chilling winters.
Due to high inflation, the prices of wheat flour have gone up unprecedentedly. Kashmiris are demanding subsidised wheat as provisioned for the disputed land under the UN Charter.

This must be understood here that POJK is not the fifth state of Pakistan and hence Pak denies to treat the people as its citizen. However, it earns massively from the region, without giving Kashmiris their due share. The region generates 4900 megawatts of electricity and 13 billion units, suffice enough to fulfill the need of entire Pakistan. But that electricity is transmitted to Pakistan and then again sold to POJK at a hefty price which is above Rs. 16 per unit.

To even worse, the Pak authorities do load shedding for over 15 hours a day. To protest against it the protestors have boycotted the electricity bill. Every month they collect the bills and burn them publicly, sometimes take out its death procession, sometimes make paper boats using them to register their symbolic protests.

The chaos and violence was unpredicted because the protest has been peaceful since one year. It is the Pak forces that took the region under seize and Muzaffarabad as hostage. The oppression and military control over the already downtrodden population led to violent resistance.