Global Protests Erupt Over Pakistani Crackdown in Kashmir

The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is leading a massive wave of protests across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following a deadly crackdown by Pakistani security forces. Rallies in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bokhara, and Mandhol have seen thousands of residents, including women and children, demand political reforms and accountability. While the unrest began over the rising costs of electricity and essential commodities, it has evolved into a broader movement for representative government. JAAC member Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri reported that over 50 people have been killed and hundreds injured, while the Jammu Kashmir Human Rights Observatory recorded 93 civilian deaths between June 5 and August 5.

The Pakistani state has responded with internet suspensions and reports of police opening fire on peaceful rallies in areas such as Kotli. These actions have triggered a global wave of solidarity protests. In Brussels, the Kashmiri diaspora marched from the European Parliament to the United Nations office, and in Bradford, protesters held a sit-in outside the Pakistan Consulate to condemn the disruption of food and medicine supplies.

International reactions have intensified, with British Member of Parliament Liam Byrne describing reports of live fire against peaceful demonstrators as deeply alarming. Protesters in the United Kingdom and Belgium have called on the United Nations to intervene to protect the fundamental democratic and political rights of the Kashmiri people.