At least 27 people have reportedly been killed after the Pakistani Army opened fire on unarmed civilians during protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Protests erupted in PoJK after the Pakistani government banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) under the anti-terrorism law. Further fanning the outrage, a trader was shot dead in a confrontation with police, hours after the ban.
Apart from the deaths, over a 100 people were injured during the police crackdown on protests.
The JAAC called for a shutdown and a long march on June 9 to press a 38-point charter of demands. One of the key demands of the protestors is the abolition of 12 seats in the PoK assembly reserved for so-called “refugees from Indian Kashmir”. The seats have been reportedly filled and manipulated by Pakistan to install a captive bloc in the Muzaffarabad assembly, regardless of how PoK’s own people vote.
“The state has begun a massacre of our people in Rawalakot,” JAAC central leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir said in a video message. Amid the deteriorating situation, the authorities have suspended mobile data and internet services across PoK, sealed the JAAC’s central office, banned public gatherings and advised tourists to leave by 20th June.
Around 2,000 protestors launched a protest march on the JAAC call on the said day. Over 200 injuries have been reported across Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad amidst a total communications blackout. The JAAC has long been holding demonstrations in the region with the demands of basic rights, including electricity, water, and political representation.
Pakistani authorities have reportedly announced a reward of 10 million Pakistani rupees for anyone who provides information which helps in arresting the key leaders of the JAAC, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Omar Nazir Kashmiri, Sardar Aman and Khawaja Mehran.
Manchester, UK: Members of the Kashmiri diaspora gathered in Manchester on Tuesday to hold a funeral prayer in absentia (Ghaibana Namaz-e-Janaza) for individuals reportedly killed in recent incidents in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), before marching to the Pakistani… pic.twitter.com/uw5gf0Vf62
— ANI (@ANI) June 10, 2026
The brutal crackdown on unarmed protestors by the Pakistani military has triggered massive global protests by the diaspora in London, drawing concern from 50 British MPs. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has also urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for severe human rights abuses. The developments highlight the growing instability in Pakistan, including uprisings in Balochistan and Sindh.
