The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Tuesday, 28 July accused Pakistani security forces of killing at least 20 confirmed civilians during a crackdown on protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with videos circulating on social media showing personnel allegedly firing on crowds in Mirpur city and loading bodies into vehicles. The death toll is expected to rise, with hundreds reportedly injured, several critically.

What the Videos Show

Multiple videos posted on social media platforms, including on the official handle of the JAAC, purportedly show Pakistani security personnel firing openly on civilians in Mirpur. The footage, which could not be independently verified, depicts bodies on roads and fallen motorbikes scattered across streets as locals fled.

The civilians who were killed had reportedly gathered on the streets in large numbers to demonstrate against what the JAAC describes as ongoing human rights abuses by Islamabad in the region.

JAAC's Account of the Killings

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), the JAAC detailed the scale of the violence. 'In Mirpur, the public has been martyred five more people on the streets, in Churhoi, the public is on the streets... except for Sarsoha Panjhera Sehnsa, from all sides, honourable people are on the streets bearing the pain of their brothers,' the committee stated.

The group also alleged that Pakistani forces fired on protesters in Rawalakot. 'Rawalakot situation tense once again. Forces shelling and firing on peaceful public,' the JAAC wrote. Pakistani police were additionally accused of targeting young members of the Mirpur Awami Action Committee.

In another post, the JAAC declared: 'The worst firing continues on the daily life caravan — We are picking up the bodies, but you will not be able to endure this hatred that you are sowing today.'

The Long March and Its Breakdown

The violence erupted during a Long March organised by the JAAC, which began from Mirpur Division on Sunday, with caravans converging at a Rawalakot sit-in before proceeding towards Muzaffarabad. The march was launched after talks between the JAAC and Pakistani authorities reportedly failed to produce a mutually acceptable outcome.

According to the JAAC's own count, shared on X: 'The identities of 19 deceased individuals have been confirmed, while one person did not have identification documents and sustained a bullet wound to the head; his body is present at the Palandri Hospital. Thus, the total deaths have reached at least 20.' The committee added that further details were contingent on daylight and the restoration of communications — signalling that authorities had reportedly disrupted connectivity in the area.

JAAC Slams Pakistani Media Coverage

The JAAC also pushed back sharply against Pakistani media reports characterising the march as an attempt to 'forcibly enter' Rawalakot. 'The shameless media is saying that the Joint Action Committee attempted to forcibly enter Rawalakot... We did not forcibly barge into anyone's home — Rawalakot is our city, which you have illegally and forcibly occupied, and in it, you martyred countless people by shelling and firing on peaceful, unarmed civilians,' the group stated on X.

With communications reportedly disrupted and the death toll still being confirmed, the full extent of the crackdown in PoK remains unclear. All figures cited are based on JAAC statements and social media posts that have not been independently verified.