PoJK Protests Intensify After Arrest of 600 Activists
Mass protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) following the arrest of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir and the detention of over 600 civil rights activists. As the anti-government demonstrations enter their 26th day, local leaders are reporting severe shortages of food and medicine, and are appealing across the border to India for humanitarian assistance. The unrest presents a significant challenge to regional stability in the Indo-Pacific, drawing international scrutiny over Islamabad's handling of democratic dissent.
What is driving the protests in PoJK?
The current wave of unrest is driven by a three-week disruption to food supplies, which has triggered acute shortages of essential goods, including rations and medicines. The civil rights coalition JAAC has mobilised citizens across all 10 districts of PoJK, with protesters carrying white flags to press for fundamental rights despite a heavy security presence. Tensions escalated sharply following the arrest of JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir and the subsequent detention of more than 600 activists, a move that has drawn the ire of both local populations and international observers.
How are local leaders responding to the crackdown?
Senior JAAC leader Sardar Aman Khan has adopted an increasingly confrontational stance against the Pakistani security apparatus. In widely circulated videos, Khan has appealed directly to residents in Indian Jammu and Kashmir, specifically naming Mendhar, Poonch, Rajouri and Doda, requesting support for the movement. He accused Pakistani authorities of blocking supply routes and subjecting residents to unprecedented repression.