New Delhi: Two people were killed and 22 injured in violent clashes amid protests against the Pakistan government in Muzaffarabad in Pak-occupied Kashmir.
Videos of the violence - shared online by Pak news channels - underlined the chaos on the streets, with some protesters firing guns into the air amid a tense stand-off with the cops and others clambering on top of cars surrounded by a sea of flag-waving, slogan-chanting agitators.
In a third a protester showed a handful of spent bullets he claimed were fired by the police.
PoK has been wracked by massive protests - led by the Awami Action Committee over the 'denial of fundamental rights' - in the past 24 hours, including a complete shutdown of markets, shops, and local businesses, as well as a halt on transport services. Schools have been affected too; while not officially shut down, a majority of students have not attended classes.
The protesters have 38 demands, which include abolition of 12 seats in the PoK Assembly reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. Locals argue this undermines representative governance.
"Our campaign is for fundamental rights denied to our people for over 70 years... either deliver on rights or face the wrath of the people," AAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir said.
Mir also delivered an ominous warning to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's administration, describing the strike as 'plan A', a message that the people's patience has run out and the authorities were now on notice. The AAC has back-up plans and a severe 'plan D', he said.
#BREAKING: Pakistan Army/ISI backed Muslim Conference goons seen firing at innocent civilians of Awami Action Committee who are demanding basic rights for people of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). One dead and 15 injured so far in brutality by Muslim Conference & Pak Forces. pic.twitter.com/0NBXYbzLJX
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 29, 2025 Islamabad has responded to these protests with a show of strength.
Heavily-armed patrols have held flag marches through PoK towns, Pak news website Dawn said, and thousands of troops have been re-routed from neighbouring Punjab province.
Look at the bullet shells being shown by civilians of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir which were fired by Pakistani forces. Pakistan Army desperate to crush the civilian uprising in PoK even as every hour thousands of people continue to protest for their 38-point demands. pic.twitter.com/ELMnpkZvPy
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 29, 2025 An additional 1,000 troops have been sent from capital Islamabad, sources said.
The Pak government has also restricted internet access in the region.
Clashes in PoK this week follow a tragic incident last week.
Thirty civilians were killed in Pak Air Force strikes - China-made J-17 fighter jets dropped Chinese-made LS-6 laser-guided bombs - on a village in the country's remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
READ | Why Pak Dropped Chinese Bombs, Killing 30 In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The deaths sparked outrage among local communities already on edge over an increase in terror attacks in recent years. Increased terrorist activity in Khyber also follows banned groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed moving into the area to establish new bases after India's Operation Sindoor.
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