Protests challenging Pakistan's control over its portion of Kashmir have intensified, marking the most significant unrest in years in the region administered by Pakistan. The unrest, which began as demonstrations over soaring living costs, has evolved into a broader political movement demanding greater autonomy.
The Joint Awami Action Committee, a coalition formed in 2023 comprising traders, civil society activists, and local politicians, is leading the protests. The group announced plans for a long march from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, beginning on June 9. Rawalakot lies close to the heavily militarized Line of Control (LoC) that divides Kashmir between Pakistan and India. The march aimed to pressure the government into accepting demands for constitutional reforms that would increase local political control.
Pakistan responded by banning the group under counterterrorism laws on June 5 and detaining several key leaders. Despite the crackdown, supporters maintained weeks of sit-ins in Rawalakot, with continuing negotiations. Violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement have resulted in at least 30 deaths, including protesters, security personnel, and bystanders, from early June through late July according to local and independent sources.
Authorities have implemented strict security measures, including prolonged internet shutdowns that have disrupted banking and daily life across Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Police checkpoints and a significant security presence have restricted movement, and tourist activity in the normally busy summer valleys along the Neelum and Jhelum rivers has dwindled.
Pakistani officials insist they will not concede to demands involving constitutional reforms, which center on abolishing a provision reserving 12 of 45 seats in the territory’s legislature for Kashmiri refugees living outside the region. The coalition argues that this change would enhance local governance, while Pakistan’s government maintains that altering the territory’s special status could undermine its diplomatic position in the Kashmir conflict with India.
Since its formation, the Joint Awami Action Committee has secured important economic concessions, including reduced electricity rates and subsidized flour prices, but this year broadened its focus to political reforms. The coalition stresses it is not separatist and does not seek union with India, emphasizing instead a call for better governance and increased autonomy.
The unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir comes amid broader security challenges facing Pakistan, including ongoing insurgencies in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Historically considered a comparatively stable area, the current protests disrupt that perception and open a new front of dissent against Pakistan’s government.
The Pakistani government characterizes the protest movement as a security threat, with Interior Minister Tallah Chaudhry declaring the protesters as “rioters” rather than peaceful demonstrators. Military officials state they have exercised restraint and encourage political engagement through local elections currently underway, which the protest coalition is boycotting. The group has alleged that allied candidates have faced unexplained disqualification from the polls, claims denied by authorities.
Analysts warn that continued forceful suppression could reinforce grievances that the region is governed primarily through security measures rather than by addressing political concerns. Many traces of the movement’s origins are linked to India’s revocation of constitutional autonomy for its administered part of Kashmir in 2019, which sparked solidarity protests and increased dissatisfaction with Pakistan’s handling of Kashmiris’ political rights.
As the election cycle continues, with the next phase scheduled for August 10, opposition parties and the coalition question the legitimacy of the process, calling instead for fresh elections under a neutral caretaker government. The evolving situation underscores persistent instability in a region long affected by the complex Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India.