Pakistan's military-led administration is facing mounting international pressure as the Kashmiri diaspora — long cultivated by Islamabad as a geopolitical asset against India — has turned into its most vocal critics, according to a report by the International Centre for Peace Studies. The report, released on 18 June, details a sweeping crackdown in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) that has drawn condemnation from overseas Kashmiri communities, British lawmakers, and human rights observers.

Killings, Arrests, and Enforced Disappearances in PoK

The report documents a sharp deterioration in ground conditions across PoK in recent weeks. According to the report, at least 16 people were reportedly killed in a single incident at the Rawalakot Eidgah and surrounding areas, with 37 others injured. The bodies of several victims have reportedly not been returned to their families, preventing funeral rites from being held.

'The Munir-led regime is scared that if the bodies are handed over, there will be huge crowds at funeral prayers, potentially leading to large-scale mobilisation,' the report stated. It further alleged that internet services have been suspended in the region and that Pakistani army personnel have reportedly broken open shop shutters and looted goods belonging to local businessmen and shopkeepers.

JAAC Banned, Bounty Placed on Leaders

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a grassroots protest alliance in PoK comprising traders, transporters, lawyers, and civil society representatives, has been declared a proscribed organisation under anti-terror legislation by PoK authorities. The JAAC has historically raised demands around basic rights, grievance redressal, and civil and political liberties.

A bounty of Rs 10 million has reportedly been announced for information leading to the arrest of the organisation's core members, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Khawaja Mehran Arshad, and Sardar Aman Khan. The report described this as evidence of the regime's 'desperation' and its systematic denial of civil, human, and political rights to the people of PoK.

Diaspora Protests Outside Pakistani Missions

Members of the PoK diaspora have staged demonstrations outside Pakistani embassies and consulates across multiple countries, including at forums linked to the United Nations. Protests have been particularly visible in the United Kingdom, with demonstrations reported in London and Bradford. British lawmakers have also drawn attention to the issue, reportedly urging international scrutiny of the alleged abuses.

Notably, this represents a significant reversal: Pakistan had for decades invested in and mobilised diaspora networks to challenge India's position on Kashmir internationally. That same constituency is now, according to the report, 'exposing decades of state propaganda and leaving the regime internationally isolated and domestically compromised.'

Broader Context: Military Priorities Over Economic Stability

The International Centre for Peace Studies report frames the PoK crackdown within a wider pattern of the Pakistani military's governance failures. It argues that the regime's 'counterproductive obsession' with consolidating absolute power — including prioritising inflated defence spending over an economy described as being on life support — is actively deepening Pakistan's insecurity rather than resolving it.

This comes amid Pakistan's ongoing engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic stabilisation, even as military expenditure continues to draw scrutiny from domestic and international observers. The report's findings are likely to add to calls for accountability at international human rights forums in the months ahead.