Pakistani security forces opened fire on women protesters in Kotli, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), on Thursday, 30 July, as videos of the crackdown spread rapidly across social media. The footage showed women running for their lives as police fired into a peaceful demonstration, marking a sharp escalation in what has become a sustained campaign of force against civilians demanding basic rights in the occupied territory.

Women Take to the Streets

The women had gathered in large numbers in Kotli, raising slogans against the violence Pakistani forces had unleashed in Rawalakot and Mirpur over preceding days. One protester, defiant despite the gunfire, was heard saying: 'We have come out to support our brothers. We want to tell them we are with them. We are ready to take a stand with them. Those who are firing at us, I want to tell you, we are not scared of anything.'

The targeting of women protesters represents a significant and disturbing shift in the crackdown, which had already drawn international condemnation.

Scale of the Crackdown

The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) said on Wednesday that approximately 40 civilians were killed and several others were injured or arbitrarily arrested between 27 and 28 July in Rawalakot, Mirpur, and surrounding areas. The group further alleged that more than 100 people have been killed since 5 June, with several hundred critically injured and hundreds more reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance by Pakistani security forces.

Analysts cited in reports suggest the total death toll since the protests began could have crossed 125, though these figures remain unverified independently. Multiple videos documenting the violence were shared on social media, including through the official handle of the Joint Awami Action Committee.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Defends Action

In a statement that drew sharp reactions, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif defended the crackdown, equating the protesters with India. 'I put them (protesters) in the same category as India and consider them also as enemies like India,' Asif said in a video that surfaced on social media platform X. Critics have called the remarks inflammatory and a justification for disproportionate force against unarmed civilians.

International Community Urged to Act

The UKPNP condemned what it described as 'excessive or unlawful force against peaceful civilians,' stating that such actions 'would constitute serious violations of international human rights law and may amount to crimes under international law.' The group has formally called on the United Nations, the European Union, and the broader international community to take immediate steps to protect civilians, support independent investigations, and uphold international human rights obligations.

With protests continuing and the death toll contested, international pressure on Islamabad is likely to intensify in the days ahead.