New Delhi: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is witnessing one of its largest protests in recent history, as the Awami Action Committee (AAC) launched widespread demonstrations on Monday, calling for a potentially indefinite “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike. The unrest has prompted Islamabad to deploy security forces in large numbers and suspend internet access from midnight in an effort to curb mobilisation.
The AAC, a civil society alliance that has gained momentum in recent months, rallied thousands of residents, citing decades of political marginalisation and economic neglect. Its 38-point charter demands structural reforms, including the abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, fairer power tariffs linked to the Mangla hydropower project, subsidised flour, and the implementation of long-promised reforms. “Our campaign is not against any institution but for the fundamental rights denied to our people for over 70 years,” said AAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir in Muzaffarabad.
Authorities responded with a show of force, sending heavily armed convoys through key towns and moving thousands of troops from Punjab. Police sealed entry and exit points to major cities over the weekend, while an additional 1,000 personnel from Islamabad reinforced local forces. District Magistrate Mudasser Farooq warned citizens against disrupting public life, stating that “peace is the collective responsibility of citizens and the administration.”
The security buildup follows the collapse of marathon talks between AAC negotiators, the PoK administration, and federal ministers. After 13 hours of discussions, the committee refused to compromise on elite privileges and refugee assembly seats. “The talks were incomplete and inconclusive,” Mir said, vowing to press ahead with the strike.
On the ground, the mood is tense. Traders’ associations in Muzaffarabad kept shops open on Sunday to allow residents to stock up on essentials ahead of the shutdown. Despite heavy security and internet restrictions, AAC leaders insist the protests will remain peaceful yet firm. Monday’s demonstrations could mark a pivotal moment in PoK’s long-standing struggle for political rights, as both sides show little willingness to yield, raising concerns over potential unrest.
