The bloodshed in Rawalakot, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, has laid bare the deepening crisis within Pakistan’s governance of the occupied territory. With reports now indicating that more than 30 people have been killed and hundreds injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces, the unrest has moved far beyond a routine law-and-order situation. It reflects a dangerous collapse of public trust, political accountability, and administrative legitimacy.
The violence reportedly erupted during protests linked to the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a group spearheading demonstrations over inflation, electricity tariffs, shortages of essential commodities, and political discrimination. Pakistani authorities allege that armed protesters attacked police personnel during a funeral procession, resulting in casualties among law enforcement officials. The reported desecration of a slain policeman’s body is shocking and indefensible. Such acts have no place in any civilised society and deserve outright condemnation.
Yet the state’s response has raised equally grave questions. Eyewitness accounts and opposition voices speak of indiscriminate firing, excessive use of force, communication blackouts, and widespread injuries among civilians. When public dissent is met with bullets instead of dialogue, anger inevitably spirals into chaos. The deaths of ordinary citizens during protests expose the widening disconnect between Islamabad and the people of PoK.
The unrest in Rawalakot is not an isolated eruption. It is the outcome of years of neglect, economic exploitation, and political marginalisation. Residents of PoK have long complained that despite contributing resources and strategic value to Pakistan, they remain deprived of genuine autonomy, development, and economic security. Successive administrations have relied more on policing dissent than resolving grievances.
Pakistan’s repeated claims of standing for Kashmiri rights sound increasingly hollow when its own administration struggles to provide dignity and stability to the people living under its control. The reality emerging from PoK is one of repression, economic despair, and deepening public frustration.
The contrast with Jammu and Kashmir on the Indian side of the Line of Control has become sharper in recent years. Despite political differences and security challenges, normalcy has steadily returned. Tourism has revived, infrastructure has expanded, investment has increased, and public life has regained confidence. The people increasingly aspire towards growth and opportunity instead of surviving endless instability.
Rawalakot should serve as a wake-up call. Violence from protesters and excessive force by the state will only produce more graves, more bitterness, and deeper divisions. Pakistan must permit transparent investigations, ensure accountability for all killings, and address the genuine concerns of the people instead of suppressing them through force.
The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir deserve peace, justice, and accountable governance — not another generation trapped between unrest and repression.
