In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) capital Muzaffarabad today, unarmed Kashmiris protesting against the Pakistani government were attacked with gunfire by Pakistani police and members of the pro-government party Muslim Conference. So far, two people have been killed and 18 others injured. According to reports, the incident took place around 1 pm IST at the Neelum Bridge in Muzaffarabad.
PoK is witnessing conditions akin to a civil war. People are physically confronting Pakistani police and paramilitary Frontier Corps, seizing their batons, helmets, and shields. Merchants across all districts of PoK, frustrated with the Pakistani government, have shut down shops, imposing a de facto lockdown. Whether in Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, or Rawalakot, shops remain closed, and people are taking to the streets against the Pakistani authorities.
Clash at Neelum Bridge Turns Deadly
Under the banner of the Awami Action Committee, a shutdown was called across all districts of PoK. People took to the streets to protest against decades of discrimination by the Pakistani government. As soon as demonstrators reached the Neelum River bridge in Muzaffarabad, Pakistani police and paramilitary forces first fired tear gas shells and warning shots into the air.
Clashes broke out with stone-pelting from both sides. In the meantime, hundreds of non-Kashmiri armed workers of the Muslim Conference a party supporting the Pakistani government, arrived at the Neelum Bridge and opened fire directly at the Kashmiri protesters. ABP News has accessed exclusive video of the firing. The exchange of fire by non-Kashmiris from other parts of Pakistan continued for about half an hour, leading to the deaths of two people aged between 22 and 25, and leaving 18 others injured.
Police, Paramilitary Forces Clash with Protesters
To suppress the shutdown, the Pakistani government has deployed more than 2,000 paramilitary Frontier Corps and Islamabad police personnel across PoK. Exclusive images and videos obtained by ABP News from the Kohala area of PoK’s capital, Muzaffarabad, show Kashmiris beating Frontier Corps personnel during protests and looting their equipment. In retaliation, police and paramilitary forces resorted to stone-pelting against demonstrators.
Why Is PoK On The Boil
Across PoK, while shops remain closed, people are shouting slogans against the Pakistani government, demanding their rights. The protests are fuelled by issues such as the Mangla Dam and Neelum–Jhelum projects, which generate electricity from PoK’s rivers and land, yet local Kashmiris see little benefit. Around 60% of this electricity is supplied to Pakistan’s Punjab province and other areas.
Another key grievance is the composition of the PoK assembly, where 12 seats are reserved for members nominated by the Pakistani government, representing refugees from Indian Kashmir. Locals say these seats suppress the voice of the native population and are used by Islamabad for its own political gains.
Anger In PoK Over Exploitation, Rising Prices
Since Pakistan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan in 1948, it has systematically exploited the region and its people. Instead of building universities and medical colleges, the Pakistani government has established terrorist training camps in PoK. Currently, PoK has only six government colleges and two medical colleges, which face chronic shortages of facilities. Meanwhile, more than 12 large terror training camps like Abdullah bin Masood, and over 20 medium-sized centres like Markaz Shohada-e-Kashmir, exist with support from Pakistan’s government and military.
The protesters are also demanding subsidies on essential commodities such as flour, rice, and lentils, as prices in PoK are extremely high — rice at PKR 301/kg, flour at PKR 110/kg, red lentils (masoor dal) at PKR 360/kg, and pigeon peas (arhar dal) at PKR 710/kg. By comparison, in India, premium basmati rice costs ₹110/kg, wheat flour ₹42/kg, and arhar dal ₹112/kg.
