PoK Unrest Escalates: JAAC Calls for Nationwide Protests, Claims 40 Killed in Three Days

New Delhi: The ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is reportedly widening, with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) calling for the movement to expand across Pakistan. The organisation has appealed to people in Pakistan, the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Poonch to join the protests, saying the campaign is aimed at securing basic civil rights.

JAAC core committee member Sardar Arman Kashmiri said the agitation is not politically motivated but is centred on issues such as voting rights, healthcare, education, justice and infrastructure. He alleged that authorities in PoK are using force to suppress peaceful voices demanding these rights.

Another JAAC leader, Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri, claimed that at least 40 people have been killed over the past three days, taking the total number of deaths during the past 52–53 days of unrest to nearly 100. He alleged that Pakistani security forces opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, leaving hundreds injured.

According to JAAC, internet and mobile services have been suspended across several parts of PoK, making it difficult to independently verify developments on the ground. The organisation also alleged that protesters are facing continued action and restrictions on expressing their grievances.

JAAC further said the sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk remains in place. While the planned “Long March” has been temporarily paused to allow the funeral rites of those killed and treatment of the injured, the group said the protest will resume on a much larger scale in the coming days.

The casualty figures and allegations made by JAAC have not been independently verified, and there has been no official response from the Pakistani government regarding these claims.