PoK Protests Turn Violent, Several Reported Dead

Massive shutter‑down and 'wheel‑jam' protests led by the Awami Action Committee have paralyzed Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir, with thousands striking in Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakot and other districts and diaspora groups staging solidarity demonstrations abroad. Protesters are advancing a 38‑point charter demanding structural reforms — including abolition of 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees, renegotiation of hydropower deals, subsidized flour and electricity, and wider political and economic rights — and have vowed to continue until their demands are met. Authorities deployed heavy security, suspended internet service, sealed entry and exit points, and officials said additional troops were moved in from Punjab and Islamabad to try to contain the unrest. Clashes between protesters and security forces turned violent, with multiple deaths and dozens injured reported: accounts cite at least two dead in Muzaffarabad, four in Dhirkot, two in Mirpur and aggregate tallies of about 8–12 over several days, and there are allegations of police shelling and aerial firing. The government said it had agreed to most demands and blamed elements of the AAC for the violence, while AAC leaders, lawyers and civil society groups rejected that account, warned of further action including a next phase of protests, and reiterated claims of long‑standing marginalization and calls for greater autonomy or Azadi.