After Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Now People in PoK Revolt Against Pakistan's Oppressive Policies
By New Age Islam Staff Writer
1 October 2025
People Have Presented A 38-Point Charter Of Demands
Main Points:
1. One protester died in police firing and several were injured.
2. Joint Action Committee is leading the protests.
3. People demand end of exploitation and discrimination.
4. Shahbaz Sharif government has lost trust of the people of the state.
5. Muslim Conference has stood against protesters.
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After decades of exploitation, discrimination and oppression, the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir ( PoK) have revolted against the Pakistan government and indeed the representatives of the protesters assert this is a 'revolt’. For the last few years, the anger and anxiety was demonstrated through small level protests against the injustices and high-handedness of the authorities and the lack of basic amenities in the state. Two years ago, a committee was formed called Jammu and Kashmir Joint Action Committee and local committees were formed. The Committee has been demanding wide range of judicial, political and bureaucratic reforms in the state but the demands were not fulfilled. The government appointed delegation to hold talks did not accept some of the key demands that led to the state-wide protests on 29th September. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) called a state wide protest and a total lockdown on the day. The response was a spontaneous shut down of businesses and services across the state and people came out in the streets shouting slogans, "Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Ye Watan Hamara Hai" (This is our land) and protesting against what they call the Hybrid System. Some of the demands of their 38 point charter of demands are as follows:
1. End to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite in the state.
2. End to assembly seats reserved for representatives from.outside the state.
3. Free and uniform education.
4. International airport in the state.
5. End of quota in jobs for migrant Pakistanis.
6. Construction of expressway.
7. Supply of water for agriculture and irrigation.
8. Judicial reforms.
9. End of additional departments.
10. Interest-free loans for the youth.
11. Employment generation.
12. Protection and help to the business community.
Most of the facilities and services included in the charter of demands are what a democratic state provides on its own to its citizens but the people of PoK have had to stage protests braving bullets to ask for what they deserve. They ask for clean drinking water and supply of water for irrigation and agriculture, better roads and bridges and cheap electricity, cheap food grains and access to free quality education for all.
Shahbaz Sharif had formed a committee that held talks with the leadership of the JAC but the talks failed due to the government-backed committee's refusal to accept some of the key demands. The bone of contention is the 12 assembly seats reserved for representatives belonging to outside of PoK. The JAC says that the Pakistan government sends its own representatives from outside the state and controls the administration of the state through them. The JAC wants an end to this quota so that interference of the federal government in the political affairs of the state is brought to an end. When the talks failed, the JAC called a state wide protest and a total shut down on September 29 which received spontaneous response from the masses and the protests were a huge success. But the federal government used a political party the Muslim Conference led by its stooge Saquib Mujib to sabotage the protests. Its leader called a Peace March on the same day. Some miscreants from the Muslim Conference fired on the protesters of the JAAC killing one youth and injuring others. The name of the deceased youth is Sadheer Awan of Neelum. 16 others were injured . They all received bullet injuries from firing by the Muslim Conference. In addition to that, the police and the central forces fired teargas shells and lathicharged the protesters. This further enraged the masses and the JAAC announced that the protests would continue until all the demands are met. Furthermore, Shawkat Nawaz Mir, the leader of the movement announced that all the entry points connecting PoK to Pakistan would be closed after 12 at night and people were told to march towards the entry points. The people came out into the streets in huge number and headed towards the entry points in Rawlakot, Bulandary, Bagh and Mirpur. To curb the protests and public outburst, the state cut off internet services and electricity in most part of the state. Moreover, the state government pressed for additional forces from the federal government. Therefore, the situation is very tense and there is a possibility of a crackdown that may result in greater revolt and disturbances.
The anger and resentment of the masses of the state is the result of the privileges of the ruling elite and the loot of the minerals and natural resources of the state. Recently, a picture of Field Marshal Asim Mir presenting a piece of rare earth minerals of Pakistan to Trump has gone viral. This picture has also fuelled the anger of the masses. Saad Ansari, a member of the core committee of the JAC said to the media that there were 53 seats in the assembly and out of them, 36 were ministers. Earlier, there were only 13 ministers but they increased the number of ministers through an amendment. There is one minister for primary education, one for high school education and one for higher education. Apart from them, there were 58 secretaries and each secretary had cars worth 5-6 crore. The bureaucracy gets free petrol and free diesel for as many vehicles as they have. The annual budget for the PM house of the state for the year 2022-23 was 30 crore but it has gone up to 60 crore in 2025 -26. The bureaucrats and assembly members get pension to the tune of lakhs but the common people don't get access even to the most basic amenities and facilities. This disparity and inequality has resulted in mass anger and they have decided that enough is enough. The protests may continue for weeks according to a representative of the JAAC and the next step may be a long march to Islamabad.
The Pakistan government seems to be in dilemma on how to deal with the mass unrest. Seeing the degree of defiance among the masses, the government has not made any remarks that might further aggravate the situation. Any use of force on the protesters may trigger more intense anti-Pak sentiments already present in the valley. Pakistan government is also not in a position to launch another military offensive in PoK as it is already fighting a lost battle in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The revolt of the people of PoK is the result of decades of apathy, discrimination, injustice and oppression meted out to the people at the hands of the Punjabi lobby of Pakistan. The arbitrary arrests of dissenting people under the draconian law MPO3 and forced disappearances are also one of the causes of public revolt. Presently, the situation in the PoK is very volatile and any misadventure by the trigger happy Pakistani army in PoK may prove disastrous for Pakistan. People in the PoK have already expressed their resolve to secede from Pakistan.
Gauging the mood of the defiant masses of the PoK, Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, the head of the Dialogue Committee formed by Shahbaz Sharif invited the JAAC for talks but Shaukat Nawaz Mir firmly presented new terms for talks. One, the restoration of internet services in the state; two, arrest of those who fired on protesters in Muzaffarabad on 29 September and, three, withdrawal of all foreign troops deployed to supress the movement. However, there has been no response from Faisal Mumtaz to these conditions.
Shawkat Nawaz Mir has announced the phase 3 or Plan 3 of the peaceful protests: Long March to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pak occupied Kashmir. The people have embarked on the long march in huge numbers removing containers from roads, a traditional means of the Punjab police to prevent protestors from reaching a venue but thanks to the geographical conditions of Kashmir valley, this strategy has not worked in Kashmir. People have removed the containers and pushed then into rivers. However, the FC, the police and rangers have fired teargas shells and resorted to lathicharged to obstruct the long march. They ha e also made some arrests but these tactics have not deterred the protestors.
According to media reports, the phase 4 or Plan 4 of the JAAC is more serious. Perhaps, after the long march to Muzaffarabad, the JAAC will try to take control of government buildings including the Prime Minister 's house as was done in Bangladesh or recently in Nepal and will try to form a temporary government. If this happens, a bloody confrontation may take place between the people and the federal forces. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan has expressed its support to the JAAC and its protests. In fact, the JAAC was formed soon after PTI government was toppled in April 2023,i indicating that PTI was behind JAAC.
The developments have received international attention and overseas Kashmiri community have expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir. They have staged protest demonstrations in the US and European countries. The United Kashmiri People's National Party (UKPNP) issued a statement condemning the brutalities committed against the peaceful protestors of Pak-administered Kashmir. The organisation has also convened a special seminar on October 1 in the United Nations to highlight the human rights violations in Pak-administered Kshmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The exiled Chairman of UKPNP's, Sardar Shawkat Ali Kashmiri, President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Jamil Maqsood, senior leaders Mirza Shafique Jamal and Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan have arrived at the UN. They have appealed to the global community to intervene and change this crisis into an opportunity of peace.
On the whole, the situation in PoK is very volatile. If the Pakistan government does not handle the situation with prudence and resorts to a violent crackdown, the consequences will be disastrous because the people of the PoK have long suffered injustice, discrimination, exploitation and human rights violations for decades and have decided to fight a long battle for their fundamental rights. Pakistan government cannot afford another military misadventure in PoK.
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