POK Turns Battlefield : 12 Civilians Killed, 200 Injured As Pakistan Forces Open Fire At Protestors

2nd October 2025 at 12:51 PM

1 minute read

At least 12 civilians have been killed as Pakistani security forces opened fire on protesters in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), which is witnessing one of its biggest unrest in recent years.

Dadyal : At least 12 civilians have been killed as Pakistani security forces opened fire on protesters in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), which is witnessing one of its biggest unrest in recent years. The unrest, which entered its third day on Thursday, saw protesters clash with the army in Dadyal as the government rushed thousands of additional troops to quell the unrest.

Five protesters were shot dead in Muzaffarabad, five in Dheerkot, and two in Dadyal. At least three police personnel have also been killed. The protests, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (AAC), have brought life to a standstill in the restive region. At the heart of the agitation is the demand for the abolition of 12 assembly seats in POK reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan. Other demands include tax relief, subsidies on flour and electricity, and completion of development projects.

Visuals on social media show thousands of agitators throwing stones and toppling large shipping containers that had been placed on bridges to block their march in Muzaffarabad. In other towns, protesters took out marches despite a security clampdown, with slogans such as Rulers, beware, we are your doom and Kashmir is ours, we will decide its fate. With the situation remaining volatile and amid fast-paced developments, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was ready to address the issues and set up a negotiation committee to find a peaceful resolution.

Nasir Aziz Khan, spokesperson of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), has appealed to the United Nations (UN) and the international community for urgent intervention. Speaking at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Khan warned of a humanitarian crisis in POK and reminded member states of their obligations under international treaties.