Nine Killed In Pakistan-Administered Kashmir: Security Forces Clash With Protesters In Poonch And Sudhnoti Districts As 3,000–4,000 Marchers Remain Blocked In Rawalakot Ahead Of July 27 Elections
According to Al Jazeera, at least nine people were killed in clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Tuesday July 15, as a planned protest march toward the region’s capital Muzaffarabad temporarily stalled amid rising tensions, bringing the total death toll to at least 28 since demonstrations began on June 4.
In Poonch district, security forces raided a house on the outskirts of Rawalakot after receiving intelligence about a weapons cache and came under fire, killing one officer. In Sudhnoti district, a separate clash erupted when protesters blocked a security convoy; seven protesters and a police officer were killed. Police said personnel acted in self-defence throughout.
The protests are led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which was proscribed under anti-terrorism laws on June 5. The group’s core demand centres on 12 seats in the regional legislature reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, which the JAAC argues enables Pakistani political parties to control the region and redirect development funds. A regional Supreme Court ruling last month upheld those seats as constitutionally protected.
Around 3,000–4,000 marchers remained in Rawalakot on Wednesday evening, having missed their 2 p.m. departure window. The government has imposed severe internet and phone restrictions. Elections in the region are scheduled for July 27, six days from now.
The trigger is seats in a legislature. The death toll is 28. That gap between the stated grievance and its lethal consequence tells you something about how deep the frustration in AJK actually runs and how fragile the situation remains ahead of elections nobody in the region currently trusts.
Check out our previous coverage of Pakistan affairs on The Trusted Times.
