New Delhi

Pakistani forces opened fire at protesters in some places in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, where people are observing a complete shutdown to press for subsidies on flour and electricity, as well as the abolition of 12 seats in the Legislative Assembly reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan.

The “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike is being organised under the aegis of the Awami Action Committee (AAC), an organisation of civil society. As per the reports, the locals living in European and other Western countries are also planning to stage protests in support of ACC’s demands.

Despite the internet blackout imposed by the authorities, video clips of people running helter-skelter after firing by the police have been posted on X:

Heavy protests breakout in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) as protestors clash with Pakistani forces . Pakistan forces resort to heavy teargas shelling and firing to disperse the protestors. The protestors ransacked multiple police posts and took a few police personnel… pic.twitter.com/aakToF9Wqn

— Raja Muneeb (@RajaMuneeb) September 29, 2025

The 38-point charter of the AAC includes a demand for subsidised flour and electricity.

The AAC has demanded the abolition of 12 Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan. The alliance states that these seats distort local representation and give undue control to Islamabad over PoK’s politics.

It has demanded immediate implementation of pending reforms promised by Islamabad last year; renegotiate hydropower so locals benefit; strengthen local governance/accountability; and assorted political-administrative fixes.

The AAC wants new power tariffs linked to local hydropower generation.

The images from Kotli, a border town in POK, which is shut down on Monday, have been shared on social media by a Kashmiri activist:

REBELLION IN PAKISTAN OCCUPIED JAMMU & KASHMIR (PoJK):

These are photos of TOTAL SHUTTER DOWN STRIKE in KOTLI town of PoJK.@UN @UNHumanRights @unhrcpr pic.twitter.com/tyT0iUBmR2

— Javed Beigh (@JavedBeigh) September 29, 2025

Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a core AAC leader, was quoted as saying in Muzaffarabad, “Our campaign is not against any institution but for the fundamental rights denied to our people for over 70 years. Enough is enough. Either deliver on rights or face the wrath of the people,” he said.

Mir said Monday’s lockdown is a direct response to years of government neglect and corruption, as well as the region’s resources being wasted on political patronage and bribery.

There’s widespread support for the protests, with lawyers and other civil society organisations expressing support for the shutdown, calling it a legitimate democratic right. Businesses, markets, and transport services are expected to be affected, bringing daily life to a near standstill.

The AAC has demanded the abolition of 12 Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan. The alliance states that these seats distort local representation and allow Islamabad undue control over PoK’s politics.

The AAC has also called for the renegotiation of hydropower projects, stating that they should benefit the local communities. The reference is to the Mangla Dam, which is based in POK and supplies electricity to the country while POK remains in darkness.

The AAC has also urged for more subsidies on essentials such as flour, as inflation has made life difficult.

According to a Dawn report, the “shutter-down and wheel-jam” strike is the result of a breakdown of talks between the AAC and the government over the weekend. The ministers who were present in the talks were quoted as saying, “Issues that require constitutional amendments or subordinate legislation by the Parliament (Legislative Assembly) cannot be decided by a few people in a closed room. That is why the negotiations ended without results.”

Monday’s protests in PoK won’t be the first in the region. In fact, the region has long been a hotbed of unrest, with locals alleging years of neglect and systemic corruption.

Last May, the region witnessed several shutdowns and demonstrations over demands including subsidised flour and electricity. At the time, the demonstrator said the people of PoK should get electricity at cost since it is generated locally, through Mangla Dam, situated in the Mirpur district of PoK.

According to experts, the current unrest in PoK dates back to 2023, when people started protesting against the Government of Pakistan for increasing the rates of electricity and withdrawing subsidies on wheat.

In 2022, massive demonstrations had taken place against the Pakistan government’s plan to bring in the 15th amendment to fix the Constitutional Status of the occupied territory. At the time, the protesters burnt tyres and blocked highways to express their anger. They chanted slogans against joining Pakistan, against the constitutional amendment and demanded freedom from Pakistan.

The Pakistani government has deployed over 1,000 police personnel from Islamabad, alongside Rangers reinforcements from Punjab province, to maintain law and order.

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Additionally, the internet has been shut down across the PoK from midnight, in what rights groups say is an attempt to suppress digital mobilisation. On social media, videos were circulating showing convoys of security forces moving into the region, heightening speculation of a heavy-handed crackdown.