Amid killings, 1.5 lakh protestors gather in PoK; Islamabad gets July 21 deadline

New Delhi: The situation in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) got tense on Wednesday with over 1.5 lakh protestors gathering at Rawalakot for a march to Muzaffarabad to press for their demands for better political representation, governance reforms and release of leaders and activists imprisoned by the government.

While the march has been postponed for now with protesters giving the Pakistani government till July 21 to meet all their demands, the situation remains tense as they have vowed to resume the campaign after the deadline if the demands are not fulfilled.

Clashes have continued in PoK between protestors and law enforcement authorities, with at least nine people killed over the last two days. The total death toll in the widespread protests that have been going on since June has now reached 30, with the Pakistani government being accused of a brutal crackdown, which included use of assault rifles against the protesting groups.


Ahead of a protest march on Wednesday, eight major protests were held in multiple districts that triggered clashes in Sudhnoti and Mathiyal Mera, leaving nine people dead.

Members of the Awami Action Committee, which is leading the protests, are holding internal consultations to decide on the next steps for increasing pressure on the Pakistani government to meet its demands.

The core demands include governance reforms, increased political representation, access to essential services, release of arrested leaders and implementation of a previously agreed 38-point charter.

India has condemned the police brutality and has said that the international community must hold Pakistan accountable for its misdeeds. Tension in PoK has escalated over the past weeks, with protesters hitting the streets with their demands, which include cheaper prices for electricity and food items. A grouse has been high energy costs despite PoK contributing majorly to the hydroelectric power of Pakistan.

The major political demand is abolition of 12 refugee-designated seats in the legislative assembly of PoK that has a total of 45 seats. While these seats are reserved for people from Kashmir who migrated to other parts of Pakistan after the 1947 war with India, they have traditionally been influenced by the Pakistani Army to ensure the election of members of terror organisations targeting India.

The Pak military is believed to be influencing the election process to ensure that Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed members emerge as winners, despite residing in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Karachi.