Mirpur, Pakistan-administered Kashmir — A sharp spike in violent demonstrations has left at least 30 people dead in the past 48 hours, according to a local civil society organization. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claimed security forces shot at unarmed civilians during massive gatherings, with 25 fatalities reported on Monday and another five on Tuesday. These incidents are part of a broader crackdown that has dominated the region for weeks.
The unrest began in June, driven by demands to reform an electoral system many locals say disproportionately favors refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. Since then, tensions have escalated, forcing the authorities to implement a strict communication blackout. This has severed the region's internet and mobile networks, cutting it off from the rest of Pakistan and making it difficult to communicate with or monitor the area.
Erasing the Evidence
Local residents and activists accuse security forces of removing victims’ bodies and sealing off hospitals in Mirpur. SA Khan, a JAAC spokesperson, said the security agencies are actively covering up the violence. “We have photos and video showing bodies lying in pools of blood,” he stated. “They took the bodies and locked the hospital to erase the evidence.”
A Mirpur resident, who did not share their name out of fear for their safety, described Tuesday’s violence as erupting in the afternoon after people gathered to protest the previous day’s killings. The resident noted that bodies were taken to the hospital and then disappeared. “After the violence, all the nearby shops shut down,” they said. Because of the ongoing communication blackout and limited media access, The Guardian has been unable to independently confirm the reported death toll.
Allegations and Counter-Claims
Pakistani authorities have dismissed accusations of state involvement in the violence. The information minister, Atta Tarar, claimed during a weekend press conference that the unrest is backed by India. However, Khan refuted these claims, stating it is a recurring pattern in Pakistan to brand political movements as anti-state or supported by India. “It’s nothing new,” he said. “When people ask for economic or political rights, they’re often labeled as India-sponsored or disloyal.”
JAAC’s protests have been ongoing for over a year, focusing on the abolition of 12 reserved political seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. Locals argue this system, which grants outsiders significant influence in the region, has eroded local autonomy. The government responded to the protests with mass arrests, declaring JAAC a terrorist organization. When violence erupted in June, at least 40 people were reported killed, according to unconfirmed accounts.
International human rights groups have raised alarms over the escalation in violence. Amnesty International echoed the demand, urging an independent, transparent investigation into how security forces have used excessive force against protesters. Amnesty’s regional director for South Asia, Isabelle Lassée, said the blackout continues to hamper efforts to verify the situation. “The patterns in Rawalakot match the government’s long history of using unlawful violence in Kashmir,” she added.
Amnesty and the UN have also called on authorities to restore communication services and allow journalists and independent observers to enter the region. Without access, it is nearly impossible to assess the true scale of what is happening or hold those responsible to account. The renewed crackdown and accusations of external influence have further exposed the fragile political and human rights situation in the contested region.
Pakistani media has largely ignored the unfolding crisis in the region, leaving much of the coverage and condemnation to rely on international outlets and activist organizations. As tensions remain high, the situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir continues to test the credibility of the government’s claims of protecting civilian rights and maintaining order.
The unrest coincided with local elections, which are scheduled to run from July 27 to August 10 in a three-phase process. The local authorities initially cut the internet in June, exacerbating the information blackout and allowing critics to spread fake videos claiming to show massacres in Kashmir. However, international correspondents have recently entered the region and provided a clearer picture of the situation on the ground. At the center of the crisis is the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a group formed in 2023 that initially focused on high food and energy prices but has since expanded its demands to include the removal of a constitutional clause reserving 12 seats in the region’s legislature for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. The JAAC argues that these refugees don’t live in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and that the seats are being exploited by Pakistani politicians. After the demand was rejected by both the region’s government and the supreme court, the situation became more tense, with authorities arresting some of the group’s leaders and banning it. Subsequent clashes with security forces and a general strike led to an extended period of unrest, with protests flaring up again last week during the elections. Death toll estimates vary, but reports suggest at least 40 people have been killed since June. The authorities insist that the JAAC is a terrorist group and that force was only used against violent protesters. As the crisis continues, it reflects a broader pattern of unrest across Pakistan, where people have protested against poor governance, repression, and electoral rigging in provinces like Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.