- PoK protestors reject Pakistan’s 78-year
- Thousands demand separation; security forces accused of looting shops.
- Sixty-five protestors died; pre-election violence also increased.
- July 15 Muzaffarabad march planned amid warnings, tensions.
The ongoing 35-day rebellion against the Pakistani government and military in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has once again exposed the ground realities of the Pakistani establishment. On Sunday, protestors in PoK openly debunked Pakistan’s long-standing narrative of “Kashmir’s liberation,” calling it a ‘Churan’ (hollow sales pitch) that will no longer find buyers in the region.
The Rejection of a 78-Year-Old Narrative
Speaking at the Eidgah ground in Rawalakot — the epicentre of the rebellion — Sardar Javed Iqbal, a prominent member of the Awami Action Committee, stated: “For 78 years, we were fed with the ‘Churan’ that they (Pakistan) would liberate Srinagar. That Churan (Narrative) has grown old. Sell this talk to those who want to travel from Rawalakot to Rawalpindi…the people of Kashmir are no longer buying it.”
Criticising Pakistan’s double standards and its treatment of the local population over nearly eight decades, Iqbal added that the people of PoK had been kept distracted and were made the “headlights of the Srinagar-bound truck.” PoK is called “Azad” by Pakistan, but the reality of this so-called “Azad” is that whenever we ask for flour, electricity, water, or self-governance, we are met with bullets. But those bullets no longer deter us. This isn’t a headache pill that we will keep swallowing. This bullet is the final straw.
ALSO READ | Pakistan Rangers Loot Mosque, Snatch Quran During Protests In PoJK
Mass Mobilisation and Slogans of Defiance
Over 60,000 demonstrators gathered at the Rawalakot Eidgah ground and chanted a collective slogan calling for separation from Pakistan: “Baccha baccha kat marega, PoK sooba nahi banega” (“Every single child will lay down their life, but PoK will never become a province of Pakistan.”).
As protests entered their 35th day, allegations of looting by security forces surfaced. In the Tatta Pani area of PoK, the Pakistani military reportedly broke open the shutter of a local shop to steal food items and cash. The Awami Action Committee released a video showing the ransacked shop to highlight the incident. Ahead of a planned march toward the capital city of Muzaffarabad on July 15, small children gathered in Dhirkot raising revolutionary slogans, while thousands of women took to the streets in Kotli.
Leadership Issues Warning to the Establishment
Sardar Umar Nazir, the coordinator of the upcoming march, urged the public to intensify their agitation. Meanwhile, Sardar Aman Khan, one of the primary organisers, issued a direct warning from the stage to the local administration and pro-government clerics: “Do not flee to Rawalpindi after July 15, stay right here.” Khan appealed to residents from other parts of PoK to march toward Rawalakot immediately. Addressing the reported deaths of 65 individuals due to firing by Pakistani Rangers over the past 34 days, Khan stated that while major uprisings globally often face violent crackdowns, the public must remain resilient rather than deterred.
ALSO READ | PoK Braces For ‘Final Standoff’; 3 Killed, Protesters Block Roads Before July 15
Pre-Election Violence in the Campaign Trails
With regional elections scheduled for July 27, public resentment against pro-Pakistan political parties has visibly escalated during the campaign trails. On Saturday night, a vehicle belonging to the convoy of a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate in Kotli was stopped and set on fire by protesters. On Sunday, a large group of women and senior citizens blocked the convoy of Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, the regional chief of the PPP in PoK, to stage a protest.
During the demonstration, supporters of Chaudhry Yasin reportedly assaulted the protesting women and elderly citizens. Visuals obtained by ABP News show party supporters attacking women with sticks, while bystanders assist an elderly man injured in the altercation. As tensions mount, the upcoming march to Muzaffarabad on July 15 remains a critical flashpoint for the region’s political future.
