The ongoing civil unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is sharply undermining Pakistan's long-standing claim to be the rightful protector of Kashmiri Muslims, according to a report by the New York-based Gatestone Institute. Protesters chanting 'Pak Forces Out' in the principal PoK towns of Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot have directed their anger not at India, but at the Pakistani state itself — a development the report describes as politically significant.

How the Protests Began

The unrest traces its roots to May 2023, when residents took to the streets over soaring electricity tariffs and flour shortages. The movement was led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) — a coalition of traders, lawyers, transporters, students, and civil society groups. The committee subsequently unveiled a 38-point charter of demands, covering subsidised essential commodities and reforms to the local electoral system.

According to the report, the grievances reflect years of accumulated economic frustration. 'Years of economic frustration boiled over when residents complained that although their territory generates substantial hydroelectric power, they were being charged electricity rates they considered unfair while also struggling with rising food prices and shortages,' it noted.

Who Was on the Streets

The Gatestone Institute report was explicit that those confronting Pakistani paramilitary forces were not armed insurgents. 'The protesters were not armed rebels. They were ordinary Muslim residents — traders, students, lawyers, transport workers, and women — demanding cheaper electricity, affordable wheat flour, and fairer treatment from the authorities that rule them,' it stated. Pakistani paramilitary forces opened fire on protesters in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot in June this year, and the escalating unrest reportedly left dozens dead.

Pakistan's Response and Crackdown

Islamabad's reaction to the demonstrations was swift and, critics argue, disproportionate. The Awami Action Committee was banned on 5 June under anti-terror provisions. Its leaders face sedition charges. Internet and mobile communications were suspended, and federal paramilitary forces were deployed across the region. The report described Pakistan's response as 'harsh,' noting that what began as an economic protest has since evolved into a broader challenge to Pakistani authority in the territory.

The Wider Narrative Challenge

The demonstrations carry implications that extend well beyond bread-and-butter grievances. According to the report, the protests by Muslim Kashmiris in PoK reflect a strong popular rejection of the 'two-nation theory' — the founding ideology of Pakistan. 'By bravely confronting the very state that claims to embody Muslim purity and protection, the Kashmiri Muslim protesters have dismantled the moral foundation of Pakistan's narrative from within,' the report stressed.

The report further noted that growing voices in PoK are openly asserting that Pakistan is not their protector and that they would be better off without it — a direct repudiation of Islamabad's decades-long international positioning on Kashmir. The contrast is made sharper, the report argued, by the fact that Muslims in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir reportedly enjoy greater political rights, economic opportunities, and development than those in PoK.

What This Means Going Forward

The Gatestone Institute report suggests that the PoK unrest is not a passing episode but a structural challenge to Pakistan's Kashmir policy. With sedition charges filed against protest leaders, communications blackouts imposed, and paramilitary forces deployed, the situation in PoK is likely to remain a pressure point — both domestically for Pakistan and internationally, where it has long sought to project itself as the voice of Kashmiri Muslims.