UKPNP Condemns Pakistan Over Power Blackouts and Protester Deaths

The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has condemned the government of Pakistan for imposing what it describes as collective punishment on residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The party reports that the region is facing extreme electricity load shedding, with daily outages lasting between 10 and 20 hours, alongside low voltage and communication blackouts. These disruptions have sparked massive protests and a shutter-down strike across Rawalakot, Poonch, Sudhnoti, and Khaigala.

Residents allege that hydropower generated within the region is being diverted to Punjab province while local citizens face high utility bills and failing mobile networks. The UKPNP states that these conditions follow years of peaceful demonstrations by the Joint Awami Action Committee seeking basic rights and electricity at production cost. The party claims authorities responded to these protests with brutal force, resulting in three deaths in Muzaffarabad in May 2024 and twelve more deaths in October 2025.

Demanding the immediate implementation of all previous public agreements, the UKPNP has called on the United Nations, the European Parliament, the United States, and the United Kingdom to intervene. The party warns that continued silence from the international community will embolden repression and deepen the humanitarian and political crisis in the region.