Pakistani security forces have killed several civilians in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), exposing a sharp contradiction in Islamabad's longstanding claim of championing the rights of Kashmiri Muslims. The violent crackdown, unfolding amid escalating unrest in the occupied territory, has drawn sharp condemnation from the Kashmiri diaspora worldwide, according to a report by the Canada-based Geopolitical Monitor.

The JAAC Movement and Its Demands

At the centre of the unrest is the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a grassroots movement that emerged in 2023 primarily over economic grievances — surging prices of flour and electricity. According to the Geopolitical Monitor report, the JAAC gradually expanded its mandate beyond economic demands, taking up political causes including advocacy for self-rule, thereby evolving into a direct challenge to Pakistan's security establishment.

'Much of the uproar as of late has to do with a group known as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which came into being in 2023 as a localised grassroots movement that arose largely in response to economic issues, such as the rising price of flour and electricity,' the report detailed. 'The JAAC eventually began to speak out about political grievances in addition to economic ones, including advocating for the idea of self-rule, thus gradually transforming into a political movement that challenged the writ of Pakistan's security establishment.'

Blockades, Shortages and a Warning Toward India

Civilians in PoK have reportedly been grappling with acute shortages of food and essential medicines, worsened by blockades enforced by local authorities operating under Pakistan's federal government and military. JAAC leader Sardar Aman Khan warned that if the blockades continue, residents of the region may consider the option of turning towards India, according to the report.

Khan also alleged that the Pakistani military had previously encouraged people in PoK to take up arms against the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi has consistently accused Islamabad of supporting and facilitating terrorist networks across the Line of Control (LoC).

Diaspora Backlash and International Scrutiny

The crackdown has triggered a significant backlash from members of the Kashmiri diaspora abroad. In the United Kingdom, thousands have reportedly taken to the streets in protest, with demonstrators describing Pakistan as an 'oppressor and violator' of human rights in PoK, the report noted.

The Geopolitical Monitor report also highlighted a broader pattern of ethnic marginalisation, stating: 'The current protests also highlight the Pakistani security establishment's mistreatment of non-Punjabi ethnicities; Kashmiris find solidarity and common cause with the also intensely persecuted Baloch and Pashtun communities.'

Pakistan's Wider Stability Under Question

These developments in PoK come against the backdrop of already volatile security conditions in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB). The simultaneous unrest across multiple regions, critics argue, raises serious questions about Pakistan's broader internal stability and its ability to govern the territories it administers. The failure of local PoK authorities to address JAAC's core demands has only deepened public discontent, with protests continuing to gather momentum.