Pakistan-administered Kashmir, known officially as Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), has been gripped by turmoil and a near-total communications blackout as a violent crackdown on pro-rights demonstrators entered its third consecutive day. The unrest, which began as a peaceful strike on September 29, 2025, has escalated into deadly confrontations with security forces, resulting in at least six confirmed deaths—three civilians in Muzaffarabad, two in Dhirkot, and one in Dadyal (the latter still unverified)—and dozens more injured. The region’s streets, once bustling with daily life, now stand deserted, shops shuttered, and businesses paralyzed as the demands for fundamental rights grow louder.
According to reports gathered by Dawn, The Express Tribune, and Times Now, the crackdown began in earnest after the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) called for a strike to protest unfulfilled promises of constitutional reforms and basic services. The situation quickly spiraled when security forces, including an estimated 2,000 to 10,000 Pakistani Rangers, were deployed to suppress the demonstrations. As mobile internet, cellular services, and even landlines were cut off across AJK, the region was plunged into isolation, with sources warning that the blackout could persist for days.
The violence first erupted at Neelum Bridge in Muzaffarabad on September 29. Mohammad Sudheer, a 30-year-old crockery shop owner, became the first casualty after being shot during clashes between JKJAAC demonstrators and a rival peace rally led by Muslim Conference leader Raja Saqib Majeed. Eyewitnesses told Dawn that "the peace rally was protected by police and paramilitary troops," and that "police lobbed tear-gas shells on JAAC demonstrators and fired at them." Viral footage circulating on social media, as reported by The Express Tribune, appeared to show individuals firing directly into the crowd. Four others were injured in the initial incident, with Sudheer succumbing to his wounds at the hospital.
Fresh violence broke out on October 1, with heavy firing and shelling reported in Muzaffarabad, Dhirkot, and Dadyal. Journalists, operating under intense surveillance and at great personal risk, managed to send sporadic updates. One anonymous reporter described the atmosphere: "Internet and call service in AJK is completely off for three days and people are on roads for strike all over AJK. People are being forced to silence by cutting off with the world. Journalists are chased and not allowed to inform outer world." The same journalist, after hours of travel to find a signal, added, "Situation is much worse... but I managed to sneak out despite being surveilled."
Despite the blackout and security clampdown, the protests have not abated. In Muzaffarabad, rallies continued even as shelling echoed through the streets. Young leaders led chants, with crowds waving the yellow and green flags of the region and declaring, "These resources are ours, these rivers and waters are ours, electricity is ours. Who will protect them – we will. Who will rule this land – we will." On the evening of September 29, nearly 5,000 people gathered at Neelum Chowk to hear JKJAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir deliver a fiery speech condemning the violence and accusing authorities of trying to provoke further unrest. Mir insisted, "We have no quarrel with any institution or the Army. Branding protesters as traitors only serves Pakistan's enemies."
The roots of the current crisis stretch back at least two years, as exiled leader Shaukat Ali Kashmiri explained to Times Now: under the Joint Awami Action Committee, a grassroots movement for basic rights—access to electricity, jobs, and governance—has been ongoing. Despite repeated promises by authorities, little has changed, and with the deadline of September 29 unmet, a full lockdown was enforced. Protesters, according to Kashmiri, "have taken to the streets, vowing not to back down until their constitutional, political, and social rights are fully restored."
The JKJAAC’s charter of demands is sweeping, encompassing the abolition of elite privileges, reserved assembly seats for refugees, free healthcare and education, the establishment of an international airport, and a raft of infrastructure projects. Other demands include the implementation of electricity agreements, maintenance of flour quality and distribution, protection of forests, access to clean water, and judicial reforms. The committee also insists on withdrawing all cases filed against citizens during the movement, and calls for an end to the deployment of external forces in the region.
Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ameer Muqam conceded to The Express Tribune that negotiations with JKJAAC broke down over demands requiring constitutional amendments—specifically, those related to the reform of 12 Pakistan-based AJK assembly seats and privileges for officials. Attempts at dialogue fizzled when JKJAAC made the end of the communications blockade a precondition for talks, which authorities refused. The crackdown swiftly followed this impasse.
Perhaps most striking has been the silence of the region’s elected government. Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, who leads the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in AJK, has not issued any public statements since the violence began. Neither have senior ministers or key officials. Observers and residents are left to wonder who truly holds power in the region, as the crackdown is managed by federal authorities and security forces rather than local representatives. The absence of leadership during a crisis that has claimed lives and left the region isolated has only deepened the sense of alienation among the populace.
The strike has brought life to a standstill in major districts, including Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Poonch, Neelum, Bhimber, and Palandari. All businesses are closed, street vendors have disappeared, and roads are eerily empty. Demonstrations have also been reported in Rawalakot and Sudhnoti, while solidarity protests have sprung up in diaspora communities in London and Bradford. There, leaders addressed the Pakistani consulate, reiterating the movement’s peaceful intentions and rejecting accusations of treason.
Law enforcement agencies in AJK have announced legal action against those involved in vandalism and rioting, vowing "strict legal action against anyone damaging public property or inciting unrest." However, with journalists unable to work freely and the region cut off from the outside world, independent verification of the authorities’ claims—or the full scale of casualties—remains impossible.
As the blackout drags on and the crackdown intensifies, the people of Pakistan-administered Kashmir stand at a crossroads. The JKJAAC has called for further demonstrations and remains adamant that protests will continue until their demands are met. For now, the region waits—its voice muffled, its streets silent, but its resolve unbroken.
