PoK Unrest: Deadly Clash Erupts Between Police and Protesters, At least 7 Killed, 70 Injured, as Pakistani Authorities Launch Violent Crackdown

Key Points

Unrest and tensions has gripped the region of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). On Sunday night, June 7, 2026, Pakistan security forces opened fire on protesters in Rawalakot, killing at least 7 and injuring at least 70. However, multiple media reports allege that the death toll stands at 27, with around 200 injured. Pakistani media and journalists on X have said that the total death toll could be much higher. 

The killing came days before the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an advocacy group based in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) region, had a protest scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2026. On June 6, 2026, the Pakistani government banned the JAAC under anti-terrorism legislation. This move amounts to criminalizing a civil rights movement, sources say.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, authorities prevented a long march planned by the JAAC. The proposed 300-km march from Bhimber in the south to Muzaffarabad in the north — the administrative center of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — eventually lost momentum.

Officials have accused the protesters of attacking the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Rawalakot on Sunday.

See also: J&K Police Attach Pulwama Property of Terror Handler Operating From Pakistan, PoK

India Today TV reported that 27 people were killed and over 200 injured during the protests after action by security forces. However, videos circulating on social media claim the actual casualty figures may be significantly higher. These claims could not be independently verified.

As per confidential dossiers obtained by India Today, it is claimed that 19 children and seven pregnant women were killed by Pakistani authorities. The dossier claims that around 14,000 security personnel from mainland Pakistan were deployed across the PoK region to contain the protests and the agitators.

What is the JAAC, and why are they protesting?

JAAC was founded in 2003 and consists of a coalition of traders, transporters, lawyers and student groups. Over the years, it has grown to become the most credible grassroots platform in PoK. The advocacy committee is a staunch protestor against alleged human rights violations, inflation, unemployment, and economic distress.

Recently, the JAAC supporters have taken to the streets in protest against the reservation of 12 seats in the PoK assembly that is reserved for  “refugees from Indian Kashmir.” However, it is alleged that Islamabad has utilized these reserved seats to install a captive bloc in the Muzaffarabad assembly, regardless of how PoK's own people vote. The committee has called for the abolition of these seats.

In addition, while the group had earlier called for civic and governance reforms, it is now demanding constitutional changes.

See also: From PoK to Balochistan: Rising Uprisings Signal Collapse of Pakistan Army’s grip

As per a report by Pakistani Media outlet Dawn, clashes broke out after tensions flared over the death of a trader. “The situation started deteriorating after a trader affiliated with the JAAC was reportedly shot in an altercation with law enforcers on Saturday [June 6, 2026]. The following day, protesters and law enforcement agencies clashed outside a Rawalakot hospital where the victim’s body was brought, resulting in the deaths of at least four policemen and seven protesters,” the media outlet said.

India's Response to the Violence in PoK 

New Delhi has taken cognizance of the “massacre” of the seven individuals killed by Pakistani security authorities. On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, India flagged the “police brutality" in the regions and called upon international governments to hold Islamabad accountable for its “misdeeds and abuses.”

Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), termed the killings as a “desperate attempt” by Pakistan to cover up its own failings and deflect attention away from its human rights abuses.

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