Pakistan-occupied Kashmir witnessed another violent flare-up after Pakistani security forces launched a crackdown on civilians in Rawalakot, triggering clashes near the city’s New Bus Terminal. Six civilians were killed after Pakistani forces opened fire during the clashes.
Among those killed in the Baloch Sadhunati district were Zahid Mughal, Zafar Mughal, Arsalan Akbar and Wajid Hayat, who was killed at the Matial Mira Bus Terminal in Rawalokot.
The latest violence has further intensified tensions in the region, where resentment against Islamabad has been steadily increasing.
Among those killed in the Baloch Sadhunati district were Zahid Mughal, Zafar Mughal, Arsalan Akbar and Wajid Hayat, who was killed at the Matial Mira Bus Terminal in Rawalokot
PoK Voices Reach The White House
Just a day before the bloodshed, members of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir community in the United States gathered outside the White House in Washington, demanding international attention to what they described as a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the region.
Nearly 100 people, including women, children and community leaders, participated in the demonstration. Protesters called for Pakistani military forces to withdraw from civilian areas across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and urged the international community to act against what they alleged was the use of lethal force on unarmed civilians.
Read | 38 Demands, 48-Hour Ultimatum: PoK Is On Brink Of Another Showdown
The demonstrators also highlighted a prolonged internet shutdown that they claimed had left nearly four million people cut off from the outside world. Locals made an unusual appeal, urging India to intervene to help save lives and facilitate humanitarian relief.
They further demanded that the Line of Control be opened through the Poonch and Doda sectors to allow humanitarian assistance to reach affected residents.
Beyond the latest clashes, residents continue to grapple with deep economic distress.
A 2025 study published in Nature found that although nearly 66 per cent of the population relies on farming and livestock for survival, more than 57 per cent of households face food insecurity. Nearly 29 per cent of residents are undernourished, well above Pakistan’s national average of 19.9 per cent. In the mountainous parts of the region, the crisis is even more severe, with food insecurity affecting up to 90 per cent of households.
Healthcare indicators paint a similarly troubling picture. According to Pakistan’s Voluntary National Review Report, 39 per cent of children under the age of five suffer from stunted growth, while the maternal mortality ratio stands at 104 deaths for every 100,000 live births.
India Slams Pakistan Over PoK Protests
The Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Tuesday criticised the ongoing protests and said that the clashes have been a result of “systematic exploitation”.
“The ongoing protests in PoJK are a direct consequence of Pakistan’s decades-long systemic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights, and administrative oppression in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation,” said Randhir Jaiswal, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
