Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's (PoK) town of Rawalakot has been under what observers describe as an iron siege for over 100 days, with residents cut off from food, medicine, and communication. Despite the sustained blockade and reported killings of civilians, the people of Rawalakot have continued to resist, according to a detailed report citing an opinion piece published in Kashmir Times.

The Siege and What Triggered It

The crisis began on 7 June, when the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) launched protests against the reservation of 12 refugee seats in PoK's Legislative Assembly. The JAAC also demanded affordable electricity and subsidised flour for residents of a region that reportedly produces cheap hydropower while its own people endure power shortages.

Two days before the protests commenced, Pakistani authorities reportedly banned the JAAC under anti-terrorism laws. When demonstrators took to the streets regardless, Pakistani security forces were deployed with what the report characterises as orders amounting to a licence to kill. According to the report, as many as 90 civilians were killed in PoK by late July.

Civilian Deaths and State Force

In a single 48-hour period, at least 24 unarmed protesters were killed across Mirpur and Rawalakot. Security personnel reportedly fired tear gas and then live rounds to stop a procession of hundreds of thousands marching toward Muzaffarabad. Among those killed, according to the report, was a shopkeeper who was handing out water to protesters and a 17-year-old who was shot while shielding his sister. The report describes all of them as 'victims of state-sponsored murder.'

Writing in Kashmir Times, commentator Murtaza Shibli stated: 'For one hundred days, Rawalakot has lived under an iron siege. And that's not a metaphor, but literal encirclement by one of the world's most militarised states. A town of teachers, farmers, students, shopkeepers has been cut off from food, medicine, communication, life's basic rhythms. Yet through bullets, starvation, and terror, Rawalakot stands. The Kashmiri spirit refuses to kneel.'

Blackout, Blockade, and Collective Punishment

Pakistani authorities reportedly imposed a complete internet blackout across PoK from the outset of the unrest, which was only partially restored in recent days. Roads have been blocked, movement restricted, and food and medicine allegedly prevented from entering Rawalakot. The JAAC has characterised the blockade as 'collective punishment.'

The opinion piece in Kashmir Times stated: 'The Pakistan state is laying siege with a deliberate attempt to starve and terrorise a population into submission. This regime has killed nearly hundred civilians, injured hundreds more, and imposed a blockade denying food and medicine to hundreds of thousands. Yet the protests continue. Sit-ins at Rawalakot's main entry points remain. Long marches keep forming. The people have not broken.'

Pakistan's Defence Minister Equates Protesters with India

In July, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly defended the crackdown on peaceful protesters in PoK. In a video that circulated widely, Asif said: 'I put them (protesters) in the same category as India and consider them also as enemies like India.' The statement drew sharp attention, with critics arguing it revealed the Pakistani state's posture toward its own citizens in the region.

Resistance Continues

Despite the reported scale of the crackdown, sit-ins at Rawalakot's main entry points have reportedly continued, and long marches have kept forming. This comes amid what the Kashmir Times piece describes as a sustained Pakistani effort to suppress the story through blackouts, fear, and force — an effort that, according to the report, has so far failed to break the population's resolve. How long the standoff lasts, and whether international attention forces any change in Islamabad's approach, remains to be seen.