Pakistan Crackdown in Kashmir Leaves Over 20 Dead

Violent clashes between Pakistani security forces and supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir resulted in a death toll ranging from 11 to over 27 people between June 5 and June 9, 2026. The unrest peaked in Rawalakot, where security forces allegedly opened fire on protesters and besieged the Combined Military Hospital. Authorities reported that four police officers and one passerby were killed by attackers using automatic rifles and petrol bombs, while activists claim a massacre of unarmed civilians occurred.

The crisis was triggered by protests over economic hardship, high electricity bills, and a demand to abolish 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees. The government responded by designating the JAAC a proscribed organization under anti-terrorism laws on June 5, suspending internet services, and offering a 10 million rupee bounty for the arrest of its leaders. While the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that the reserved seats are constitutionally protected, JAAC leaders vowed to continue their struggle for political representation.

International reactions have been sharp. The Government of India condemned the police brutality and accused Pakistan of using fake news to mask human rights abuses. In the United Kingdom, over 50 parliamentarians and members of the Kashmiri diaspora staged protests in cities including London and Bradford, urging diplomatic intervention. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, denounced the mass arbitrary arrests and communication blackouts, calling for independent investigations into the killings.