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Women and schoolchildren joined anti-government demonstrations across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on Monday as a protest movement demanding political and economic rights entered its 14th day, with organisers warning of a mass march to Muzaffarabad if Islamabad fails to respond to their demands by June 23.
According to intelligence inputs, the agitation has widened beyond political activists, drawing participation from various sections of society amid growing discontent over alleged political repression, economic hardship and the influence of Pakistan’s military establishment in the region.
The inputs suggest that more than 70,000 protesters have continued an indefinite sit-in at Rawalakot’s Eidgah Ground for the past 11 days, while fresh demonstrations were reported from several towns and villages on Monday.
In Tarar Khel, Sudhnoti district, groups of schoolchildren aged around 10 to 12 reportedly gathered in a public square and raised slogans calling for freedom. In Mandhole, hundreds of women marched through the locality carrying placards and chanting slogans against the Pakistani government and military, accusing them of acting as occupying forces.
At the Rawalakot sit-in site, children were seen holding placards carrying messages such as “Pakistani Forces Out”, “We Want Basic Rights”, “We Want Free Education”, and appeals seeking international attention to the situation in the region.
The protests are being spearheaded by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), which has given the Pakistani government until June 23 to accept a charter containing 38 demands. Protest leaders have warned that failure to address their demands could trigger a march involving more than 100,000 people from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad, the administrative headquarters of PoJK.
Addressing supporters at Eidgah Ground, AAC organiser Sardar Aman Khan said the movement would continue until its demands were met. According to intelligence inputs, he warned that continued use of force by Pakistani security agencies could intensify the confrontation.
Khan also accused Pakistan’s military establishment of suppressing ethnic communities over several decades, citing the treatment of Bengalis in the past and the continued unrest in Baloch and Pashtun regions. He said residents of PoJK would resist what he described as similar policies in their region.
AAC leaders have reiterated that preparations for the proposed march to Muzaffarabad are underway and would proceed if Islamabad does not respond positively before the June 23 deadline.
The protest movement has also drawn attention to what organisers describe as a worsening humanitarian situation. Intelligence sources claimed that internet services have remained suspended across PoJK since June 5, restricting communications and access to information. They further alleged that food trucks have been prevented from entering the region since June 14, leading to shortages of essential supplies in some areas and further angering the public.
According to the intelligence inputs, clashes between protesters and Pakistani Rangers and security personnel since the agitation began have resulted in 58 deaths, with accountability for those fatalities emerging as one of the key demands raised by protest leaders.
Independent verification of the casualty figures and several other claims made by protest organisers and intelligence inputs remains difficult because of restrictions on access and communications in the region.
Team BharatShakti
