Muzaffarabad: Tensions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) escalated sharply on Sunday after Pakistan Rangers opened fire on demonstrators, leaving one person dead and several others injured. The violence unfolded during fresh demonstrations demanding basic rights and the release of detained activists, coming just days after regional protesters appealed to the people of India for solidarity following a severe government crackdown and the arrests of over 600 civil rights workers.

According to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) PoK wing, the fatal shooting occurred during a peaceful demonstration in Amb village, located in the Dadyal tehsil of Mirpur district. "Police and Rangers shelled and fired upon peaceful protesters at the Dadyal Amb location. One person was martyred and multiple individuals were injured due to Rangers' firing," the PTI stated on X. These claims could not be independently verified.

The latest violence comes as the mass protest movement, spearheaded by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), continues to gain momentum despite heavy security restrictions, mass arrests and allegations of excessive force by state authorities.
 

The JAAC also alleged that security forces used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds. According to the committee, thousands of residents, including women, children, and the elderly, had gathered at the Sardar Ghulam Hussain Khan Sports Stadium in Abbaspur before marching to join the broader movement. The organisation claimed the security forces' gunfire left several people critically wounded, even as large convoys continued to stream into a major sit-in site at Rawalakot.

The flare-up follows a recent video message from JAAC leader Sardar Aman Khan, who appealed to the people of Srinagar, Ladakh, Poonch, Rajouri and Jammu to stand with PoK residents. "We have faced atrocities. Our food has been stopped," Khan alleged, accusing Islamabad of cutting off essential supplies.

Addressing a massive rally in Rawalakot, Khan hit back at state narrative, stating, "Look, it was the Pakistan Army that put guns into the hands of Kashmiris... And today, they have the audacity to call us terrorists? PoK is not a part of Pakistan. We do not need Pakistan; rather, it is Pakistan that desperately needs PoK."

The heavy-handed response has drawn sharp condemnation from global rights bodies. Amnesty International recently criticised Pakistan's decision to classify the JAAC as a "proscribed organisation”, calling it a disproportionate crackdown on freedom of association and peaceful political activity ahead of the upcoming regional elections.

The ongoing unrest is the culmination of weeks of public anger led by the JAAC's 38-point Charter of Demands. Key grievances of the local population include severe economic hardship, the unfair distribution of local natural resources, excessive paramilitary deployment, and demands for genuine political autonomy.