Revolt in POJK: Pakistan’s Brutal Repression in Pakistani Occupied Jammu & Kashmir

Nitishastra | Navroop Singh and Himja Parekh

Pakistani security forces in June 2026 initiated a violent crackdown against thousands of civilian demonstrators in Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (POJK) protesting soaring living costs and political marginalisation. Organised by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the peaceful movement faced immediate state suppression, including internet blackouts, mass arrests, and lethal force.

This escalation stems from decades of local resentment over Islamabad's economic exploitation of regional resources, particularly the retention of hydropower royalties from the Mangla Dam while charging residents exorbitant electricity tariffs. Although previous protests in 2024 and 2025 yielded temporary subsidies, the 2026 unrest expanded to demand systemic reforms, including the abolition of legislative seats reserved for non-resident refugees. Despite a widespread election boycott and condemnation from Amnesty International, federal authorities proceeded with contested legislative polls in late July 2026, exacerbating the region's severe humanitarian crisis and deep-seated political instability.

Comment

Deploying paramilitary Rangers against the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee exposes structural vulnerabilities in Pakistan's internal security apparatus. Invoking the Anti-Terrorism Act to criminalise protests over Mangla Dam's tariffs reveals a failure to integrate peripheral economies. This coercive strategy hollows out Muzaffarabad's administrative credibility, leaving Islamabad dependent on direct force to maintain territorial control.

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