Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has recorded 56 protesters killed or reported missing since 9 June, following unprovoked firing by Pakistani security forces on peaceful demonstrators, according to sources. The toll underscores a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region, now entering its second month with no signs of de-escalation.

Conditions on the Ground

Residents in PoK continue to report acute shortages of food and medicines, compounded by arbitrary detentions, police excesses, and repeated raids on private homes. Pakistani authorities have imposed what sources describe as a 'hard-line approach' — including food and medicine blockades — while completely shutting down media and internet services across the occupied territory.

Nearly a month after the proscription of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the crisis has worsened rather than abated. Protesters have established six permanent sit-in sites in the Rawalakot district, including Darek Eidgah, Singola, Motialmara, Paniola, Mujahidabad, and Rawalakot Bus Terminal. Notably, participation by women, elderly citizens, and children has increased — signalling the movement's resilience despite sustained official pressure.

JAAC's Escalating Demands

Protesters continue to press for resolution of all outstanding demands, including the contentious abolition of 12 refugee seats in the Legislative Assembly. JAAC core committee member Umar Nazir Kashmiri announced on 29 June that activists and people associated with the Public Rights movement would boycott the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for 27 July, arguing that meaningful elections cannot be held under the prevailing circumstances.

Another JAAC leader, Sardar Aman, warned that if government restrictions and blockades persist, the movement could explore opening alternative supply and communication routes through the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Aman has also alleged in recent public addresses that the Pakistani military has indoctrinated youth in PoK and encouraged them toward armed rebellion against India in Jammu and Kashmir.

International Pressure Mounts

The killings have drawn sharp reactions from the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Australia, Germany, and the United States. Protests have been held outside Pakistani missions in London, Manchester, Bradford, and Birmingham.

On 5 July, the London Long March drew more than 10,000 participants, proceeding from Parliament Square to Pakistan's High Commission in London. The march was joined not only by British Kashmiris — including women, children, and foreign nationals — but also by leaders of the Baloch nationalist movement, the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) UK chapter, and the World Sindhi Congress.

What Experts Are Saying

Analysts note that the Pakistani security establishment's decision to ban the JAAC has effectively closed the door on negotiations, leaving street protest as the only remaining channel for political expression. With Legislative Assembly elections in PoK slated for 27 July, the authorities' refusal to address the refugee seats issue is widely seen as likely to further destabilise the security situation in the coming weeks.

Critics argue that the crackdown has undermined Pakistan's longstanding claim that the interests of Kashmiri Muslims are best served under Pakistani stewardship — a narrative the international visibility of these protests is now openly challenging.