Muzaffarabad is on the edge as fresh contingents of Pakistani forces were rushed in at midnight from Rawalpindi and other regions to suppress the massive civilian uprising in Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK). According to locals, dozens of vehicles, including civilian buses packed with troops and security forces’ convoys, were seen moving towards Muzaffarabad under the cover of night. The protests, led by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), have now entered the fifth day, and tensions are escalating after repeated attempts by Islamabad to negotiate a deal with the demonstrators fell apart.
According to reports, a high-level meeting was held late last evening between representatives of the protesting Awami Action Committee and Pakistani federal ministers. The ministers, dispatched from Islamabad, attempted to pacify the agitators by offering a limited rollback of electricity tariffs and minor relief measures. However, protest leaders outrightly rejected the proposal, calling it a “token gesture” and accusing the Pakistani government of deliberately ignoring the long-standing grievances of PoJK’s people.
During the last five days of the long march protest, at least 12 civilians have been killed in Pakistani forces’ action, while over 200 others have sustained injuries. The casualty list continues to rise as security personnel open fire and use excessive force to disperse crowds in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli and adjoining areas.
Meanwhile, Pakistani security agencies have confirmed that three policemen have also been killed and more than 170 others injured, with 10 of them in critical condition having been airlifted from Muzaffarabad to Islamabad for treatment.
Protesters remain firm on their demands—an end to skyrocketing electricity tariffs, withdrawal of arbitrary taxes, and immediate redressal of basic shortages like wheat and fuel. The movement, initially launched against inflation and economic neglect, has now transformed into a large-scale anti-government revolt, one of the bloodiest uprisings PoJK has witnessed in decades.
Sources warn that if the people continue to reject Islamabad’s deal, Pakistani forces may resort to an even more brutal crackdown in the coming days, heightening fears of further bloodshed across the occupied territory.
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