At least 11 protesters, 3 police killed in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir protests

Updated: July 29, 2026 07:48 pm IST By: Luv Puri

For decades, the Pakistani state has diplomatically showcased Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to the world as if it were a separate country, complete with its own constitution, a Prime Minister as chief executive, and a President as constitutional head.

In January 2006, I stayed at Kashmir House in Islamabad's posh F-5 Sector, a neighbourhood of broad avenues framed by hills — a rare sight for a South Asian capital. Having spent much of my college life at Delhi University visiting Kashmir House in Chanakyapuri, I could not help but notice the contrast. In New Delhi, the compound was lined with ageing Ambassador cars, while in Islamabad the political elite showcased their clout with fleets of Pajeros, SUVs that were still a rarity in South Asia at the time. When I remarked on this to one of my hosts, a young journalist from Bagh (situated in central PoK) based in Islamabad, he quipped that it was the "Pajero culture" that ruled the region — a telling reflection of the elitism that has long defined its politics.

For decades, the Pakistani state has diplomatically presented PoK to the world as an independent entity, complete with its own constitution, a Prime Minister as Chief Executive, and a President as constitutional head. In actual practice, the diverse political unit of Jammu and Kashmir — which came together because of a confluence of many factors in the 19th century — has propounded many myths. One such myth relates to PoK, a sliver of the undivided princely state that has been controlled by Pakistan since 1947, which has often escaped popular discussion.

Pakistan refers to this area as "Azad Jammu and Kashmir," meaning independent Jammu and Kashmir. Its legislative assembly has the power to elect its Prime Minister and President. At international fora, the nomenclature of executive positions and a separate Constitution are presented by Pakistan as evidence that the region is an independent entity. However, the reality is a lot different.

Global spotlight on the territory

Yet, the recent violent developments in the region have once again turned the global spotlight on the territory, underscoring the failure of a political structure devoid of accountability and transparency to the local people.

According to independent sources, at least eleven protesters and three policemen have been killed in days of clashes, even as the government urges demonstrators to return to dialogue. There is a communication blackout in the region.

The protests are being spearheaded by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has mobilised around demands for:

• Ending special allowances to government officials
• Securing subsidised electricity and wheat, as provided in other parts of Pakistan

The JKJAAC leadership accuses authorities of reneging on promises. Its leaders draw members from traders, transporters, lawyers, students, and other grassroots groups. Formally established around September 2023, it emerged as a cross-regional platform to channel extensive public discontent over economic misgovernance, inequities, and the concentration of power in elite circles.

JKJAAC's demands fall broadly into two interlinked categories:

1. Immediate economic relief — subsidised electricity and wheat prices, on a par with other regions of Pakistan
2. Structural and constitutional reforms — removal of elite perks and privileges for Ministers and bureaucrats, alongside free and equitable governance

[Photo: Police officers stand on a bridge, as they stop the protesters of the Awami Action Committee, during a protest following a shutter-down strike in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, on October 1, 2025 | Photo Credit: Reuters]