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Protests Rock Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli and Rawalakot
DR. MAHESH KAUL
Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) is witnessing the worst political crisis that has exposed the socio-political and economic fault lines in the occupied areas leading to instability. The people of the occupied areas from all sections of the society came out on streets and participated in the people’s movement demanding the justice that includes the fair electricity prices, subsidies in food grains besides the transparent governance free from corruption. These protests have been orchestrated from September and are continuing asking for accountability and dignity of life. These protests by the people of POJK were met with force by the Pakistani agencies leading to the killing of nearly 10 people during the clashes. Though there were responses from the governments of so called Azad Kashmir with the Federal Government. In this connection the Federal Government has sent a negotiating committee that arrived in Muzaffarabad, the capital of the occupied areas. It held talks with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC),an amalgam of the various organisations representing the various social groups in POJK that includes traders and civil society to examine the discontent that has emerged in the form of protests.
It is pertinent to mention that JAAC had organised the complete lockdown of the POJK areas on 29th September and brought life to stand still. It was led by their leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir. This invited unprecedented restrictions from the government leading to the complete blockage of mobile communication and internet services. This led to the blockage of the news from the POJK.
The POJK leaders have accused Pakistani forces of indulging in the killing of peaceful protestors, Shaukat Nawaz Mir while talking to the media sources has said, “This was a peaceful lockdown call by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Public Action Committee. All the citizens of Muzaffarabad were peacefully recording their protest on Neelum Bridge when a few people–some facilitators, facilitators of institutions–arrived with institutional weapons in the presence of the administration and police, and opened direct fire on our venue. We have evidence of this. As a result,… our youth were martyred and more than 20 were injured by the direct fire. We will not forgive this murder under any circumstances.”This underlines the level of conflict and policy of repression adopted by the Pakistani forces on the people whom they claim to be their co-religionists and supporters.The lives of the people in the POJK areas are under constant threat due to repression and suppression of the democratic voice.The impostion of the puppet regimes in POJK by Pakistan and altering the demography has caused severe backlash with people internalising the dubious intent of Pakistan that eyes the natural resources and mineral wealth the occupied areas.
Substantiating the level of discontent and unrest in the society in POJK another leader of the JKAAC Faisal Jamil Kashmiri has said that these protests are growing because the promises have not been fully implemented. The issue of the 25 per cent quota,which has been in place since 1947, is also a key reason. With an unemployment rate of 64 per cent, the youth are protesting to demand that this quota system be completely abolished.
The ongoing agitation on the streets of POJK is guided by the 38 point charter of demands. This charter includes socio-political reforms, subsidised food grains, issue of electricity tariffs ,educational facilities, health infrastructure and abolition of incentives for the government officials.
The 38 Point Agenda — Muzaffarabad, 3 October 2025
i. Criminal cases to be registered under appropriate anti-terrorism provisions for incidents of violence and vandalism that caused loss of life or property.
ii. Families of those killed in the protests to receive compensation equal to that of law-enforcement martyrs; injured persons to receive Rs 1 million; one family member of each deceased to be given government employment within 20 days.
iii. Judicial Commissions to be constituted where inquiries are necessary to determine responsibility for the deaths.
iv. Two new Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education to be established for Muzaffarabad and Poonch Divisions.
v. All three AJK education boards to be affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education within 30 days.
vi. Land possessions for families affected by the Mangla Dam Raising Project to be regularised within 30 days.
vii. Local Government Act to be brought in line with the 1990 Act within 90 days, as directed by the Apex Court.
viii. Funds for implementation of the health card programme to be released within 15 days.
ix. MRI and CT scan machines to be provided to each district hospital phase-wise with federal funding.
x. The Government of Pakistan to allocate Rs 10 billion for upgrading AJK’s electricity system.
xi. Implementation of the 2019 High Court decision regarding hydel power projects and royalty distribution.
xii. The size of the AJK cabinet to be reduced to 20 members (ministers and advisers combined).
xiii. Administrative secretaries to be limited to 20.
xiv. Civil Defence Department to be merged with the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
xv. Ehtesab Bureau and Anti-Corruption Establishment to be merged into one accountability institution.
xvi. Ehtesab Act to be aligned with Pakistan’s National Accountability laws for uniformity.
xvii. Feasibility studies for two tunnels — Kahori/Kamser (3.7 km) and Chaplian (0.6 km) on Neelum Valley Road — to be initiated under the Saudi Development Fund.
xviii. Bridges at Gulpur and Rehman (Kotli) to be built through the Annual Development Programme (ADP).
xix. Water-supply scheme and transmission line for Kashmir Colony Dadyal to be included in the ADP.
xx. Feasibility for greater water-supply schemes across all ten districts to be completed this financial year.
xxi. Operation theatres and nurseries to be funded for all Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals via the ADP.
xxii. Taxes on property transfer to be brought at par with Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa within three months.
xxiii. Advance tax rates to be reduced in line with Gilgit-Baltistan and former FATA areas.
xxiv. Admissions to educational institutions to follow open merit without undue quota restrictions.
xxv. FIRs for incidents at Banjosa, Muzaffarabad, Plochk, Dhirkot, Mirpur and Rian Kotli to be investigated through Judicial Commission led by a High Court judge.
xxvi. Time-frame for the construction of an International Airport at Mirpur to be announced within the current financial year.
xxvii. Transport policy to be reviewed in light of the High Court judgment, especially the 1300 cc vehicle limit.
xxviii. Feasibility for hydel and water schemes to be carried out as priority projects.
xxix. Proprietary rights to be granted to refugees residing in Mendor Colony Dadyal.
xxx. Protesters detained in Rawalpindi and Islamabad on 2–3 October to be released immediately.
xxxi. High-powered committee of constitutional experts (two from each party) to review representation of outside constituencies in AJK Assembly; fund allocations for those seats to remain on hold until report submission.
xxxii. Same committee to oversee harmonisation of accountability structures with federal standards.
xxxiii. Funds for operation theatres and maternal care facilities to be prioritised in the ADP.
xxxiv. Reaffirmation that cabinet size shall not exceed 20; rationalisation of administration to continue.
xxxv. Monitoring and Implementation Committee to be formed comprising the Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs (Chair), Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, two AJK Government and two JAAC representatives.
xxxvi. Committee to prepare rules, set timelines, and review perks of judiciary, officials and ministers to reduce expenditure.
xxxvii. New development schemes and health expansion projects to be financed under ADP and federal allocations.
xxxviii.All points of agreement to be monitored regularly by the Monitoring and Implementation Committee and reported to both the Federal and AJK Governments.
Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir had acceded to India with the signing of the standard form of Instrument of Accession that was signed by more than 565 rulers. Maharaja Hari Singh signed that same standard form of Instrument of Accession but Pakistan indulged in subversion before that and indulged in wholesale rape, plunder and arson in the state by sending Pakistani army regulars disguised as tribals to annex Jammu and Kashmir.
After the signing of the Instrument of Accession, Indian troops arrived and thrashed the Pakistani invaders but due to the ceasefire, Pakistan managed to occupy the areas that are presently under its illegal occupation and termed these areas as Azad Kashmir. Technically speaking these areas are POJK areas. And India is constitutionally bound to reclaim these areas as per the unanimous Resolution passed by the Indian Parliament in 1994 that declares entire Jammu and Kashmir including the areas under Pakistani occupation as the Indian territory and calls upon Pakistan to “vacate the areas of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir which they have occupied through aggression”. It also strongly condemns the cross -border terrorism orchestrated by Pakistan to annex Jammu and Kashmir. It also underlines that India will not tolerate the external interference in the internal affairs of India. It also upholds the protection of human rights of all its citizens.
India has been constantly sensitising the international community about the Pakistani machinations to destabilise India in Jammu and Kashmir through cross-border terrorism. Time has come that India asserts and delivers justice to the people of POJK who are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan . Recently India dismantled terrorist infrastructure in POJK and some areas of Pakistan through the successful Operation Sindhoor.
What has worsened the security scenario is that Pakistan has leased out the areas in POJK to China and this makes the things complex in terms of the security of the Northern Frontiers in the Himalayas.
(Author is Editorial Director ,The Chancellor)
