Muzaffarabad, September 29(HS): Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is witnessing one of its largest protest movements in decades, with thousands taking to the streets under the leadership of the Awami Action Committee (AAC). The demonstrations, marked by a region-wide “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike, have triggered a tense standoff with Islamabad, which has deployed heavy security and cut internet access to prevent mass mobilisation.
The AAC, a rapidly growing civil society alliance, has mounted a direct challenge to Islamabad’s authority, demanding sweeping reforms in governance and economic policy. Its 38-point charter calls for the scrapping of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees living in Pakistan, fair electricity tariffs tied to local hydropower production, subsidised flour, and the implementation of long-delayed development promises.
“Our campaign is not against any institution but for rights denied to people for over 70 years,” AAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir declared to protestors in Muzaffarabad. “Enough is enough — if rights are not delivered, the people’s anger will not be contained.”
Authorities have responded with overwhelming force. Flag marches by heavily armed convoys have been carried out in key towns, while thousands of paramilitary troops have been moved in from Punjab. In addition, Islamabad has dispatched over 1,000 police personnel from the capital, sealing entry and exit points and strengthening surveillance around sensitive sites.
The escalation comes after talks between AAC leaders, the PoK administration, and federal representatives collapsed following a 13-hour negotiation session. The group refused to compromise on eliminating entrenched elite privileges and refugee quotas in PoK’s legislature.
Citizens, meanwhile, have stocked up on essentials amid mounting uncertainty, with traders warning of looming shortages as the indefinite strike continues. Footage circulating on social media shows crowds chanting slogans for freedom from Pakistan’s control while convoys of security forces pour into Muzaffarabad.
With both sides refusing to yield, the confrontation marks a watershed moment in PoK’s long struggle for political representation and economic justice. Analysts fear that the unrest, if left unresolved, could spiral into one of the most volatile episodes in the region’s recent history.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
