Pok unrest deepens: Thousands storm streets against Pak security forces; protesters demand end to brutal crackdown

Thousands gather across PoK in support of the Joint Awami Action Committee, protesting against Pakistani security force violence in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot.

Islamabad: Massive public anger erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Thursday as thousands of residents took to the streets to protest months of brutal state-sponsored violence and military repression. Demonstrators mobilized in key urban hubs to express unwavering support for the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been leading regional civil resistance against Islamabad’s constitutional policies and security actions. The spiraling unrest highlights growing alienation in the occupied territory amid rising civilian casualties and heavy-handed enforcement by security authorities.

Mass rallies and Social media mobilization in PoK

Protests expanded rapidly across multiple districts, driven by public outrage over security force actions:

• Widespread Demonstrations: Large crowds gathered on the streets of Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bokhara and Mandhol, chanting anti-establishment slogans and demanding an immediate end to military atrocities.
• Viral Visuals: Extensive video footage posted on social media platforms by the JAAC and local activists depicted massive processions blocking key roads and defying security restrictions.

“Once again, the people of Rawalakot took to the streets in support of the Action Committee and raised their voices against the forces’ brutal violence,” JAAC posted on X. A large number of women and children carrying flags held a protest rally in Bokhara and chanted slogans like “Inquilab Ayega.”

Similarly, thousands of women and children held a protest rally in the Mandhol area of PoK’s Poonch district. A large number of people held a protest rally in Rawalakot to express support for the JAAC and raised their voices against the forces’ brutal violence.

Awaaz do hum ek hai’: Slogans shouted in PoK

During the protest rally, the protesters shouted slogans like “ye gundagardi na bhai na, ye daishtgardi na bhai na, ye afra tafri na bhai na” and “awaaz do hum ek hai, Mirpur mein, hum ek hai, Kotli mein, hum ek hai, Rawalakot mein, hum ek hai, Bagh mein, hum ek hai, Muzaffarabad mein, hum ek hai.”

‘Sharing videos of the protest on X, JAAC stated, “Large number of women and children have joined the ongoing protest in Rawalakot, standing alongside their families and communities to raise their voices for fundamental rights, justice and the implementation of public demands. Their participation reflects how deeply this movement has reached across society.” PoK is currently witnessing the most extensive confrontation between the local population and the Pakistani state in decades, with deadly violence, suspension of the internet, and allegations of police brutality.

(With Inputs From India.com)

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