Islamabad, June 7 (AHN) Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is on the brink of widespread unrest as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has called for a major lockdown protest on June 9 over 38 unmet demands, as per reports.

In the wake of earlier violence, including the killing of a JAAC leader by security forces, internet blackouts and the group's banning, people in PoK remain frustrated over electricity shortages, inflation, unemployment, exploitation of resources, and political marginalisation. The Muzaffarabad Agreement of October last year has not been implemented fully. Critics have spoken about the 12 "refugee" seats used for Islamabad's control, the autonomy-curtailed 13th Amendment, and the gap between Pakistan's propaganda about the region and PoK's repressive reality.

"In so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the situation is now turning increasingly serious. On 9th June, a lockdown protest call has been announced by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), accusing the Pakistani government of repeatedly betraying the aspirations of the people of the region," Idrees Aftab wrote in a report for the Centre for Peace Studies.

"The committee has warned of massive protests, shutter-down strikes, wheel-jam demonstrations, a long march, and an indefinite sit-in if its demands are not addressed. According to the committee, the upcoming agitation will focus on the implementation of 38 specific demands related to governance, basic rights, and long-standing socio-economic grievances of the region," he added.

Protests have reportedly already begun in various parts of PoK ahead of the planned June 9 shutdown, demonstrating the growing frustration of people and escalating repression. The situation escalated after Pakistani security forces allegedly opened fire on people near Khaigla Burma Bridge in Rawalakot, leading to the death of JAAC executive member Shahzaib Habib and the injury of several others, according to the Centre for Peace Studies report.

Reports have indicated that telecom and internet services in PoK have been suspended, while additional contingents of the Pakistan Federal Police and Pakistan Rangers have been deployed to Muzaffarabad ahead of the protest. In addition, Pakistani authorities have banned the JAAC, declaring it a proscribed organisation and accusing it of being involved in terrorism, acting in a manner "prejudicial to peace and security" of the state, and "creating anarchy in the state by intimidating public, promoting hatred and creating a sense of insecurity in society".

These developments have intensified tensions in PoK and sparked fears that the region could see a much larger wave of unrest in the coming days.

JAAC leaders have said that Pakistan has not implemented its promises and commitments about constitutional, electoral, and governance reforms and instead has tried to suppress and weaken the movement. The JAAC has urged residents to stockpile essential supplies for at least a month in preparation for a prolonged shutdown. It has announced that no political election rallies will be allowed in the region until the authorities agree to their demands.

In October last year, the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JK-JAAC), a coalition of traders, lawyers, and civil society groups, unveiled a 38-point charter outlining a wide range of demands.

According to the report in the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), the demands in the 38-point charter include the restoration of a flour subsidy and control of inflation, the end of privileges available to judges and civil servants, the withdrawal of unjust taxes, and the reservation of jobs for Kashmiris in the federal government of Pakistan.

Additionally, it called for financial aid for traders, cancellation of the PoK Bank's merger with the State Bank of Pakistan, the abolition of toll plazas, a ban on timber smuggling, and the construction of hostels for students in different towns.

JK-JAAC Core Committee member, Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri, also issued an appeal to the international media and global human rights organisations, calling for immediate attention to the ongoing crisis in PoK.

“Since September 29, a peaceful public movement has been met with state repression, human rights violations, restrictions on civil liberties, and the killing of innocent civilians."

State forces and non-local personnel have carried out indiscriminate firing, killing at least nine unarmed civilians and injuring hundreds more, the JK-JAAC said in a statement in October last year.

As per the statement, since September 28, the Pakistan government has enforced a complete communication blackout across PoK, suspended mobile networks, internet, and landline connections, effectively cutting off millions of people from the outside world.