Tensions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have reached a boiling point as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) issued a stern warning to the Islamabad administration. Amid months of widespread protests over economic rights, subsidies, and governance, local leaders have made it clear that any fresh deployment of security forces in the region will be viewed as an act of external aggression.
JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri claimed that Pakistani security personnel had earlier withdrawn from Kotli and surrounding areas due to mounting public pressure. However, rumors of their potential return have triggered massive outrage. Kashmiri stated that the local population will vehemently resist any attempt by the regime of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir to remilitarize the restive towns.
The ongoing agitation stems from deep-seated grievances regarding heavy inflation, a lack of basic subsidies, and demands to abolish the 12 reserved assembly seats meant for refugees from other parts of Pakistan, which locals argue undermine their indigenous political representation. With major urban centers like Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Mirpur witnessing continuous mobilization, the local administration's attempts to ban the committee have failed to suppress the voices demanding fundamental change and dignity.
