Deadly Unrest Grips Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir: Protests Escalate, Media Targeted

 

ANN News 

Muzaffarabad/Dadyal/Dhir Kot, October 2—

 

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has been plunged into a state of emergency as violent clashes between security forces and protesters entered a critical phase. On the fourth consecutive day of unrest, at least 20 people have been killed and dozens more injured in what eyewitnesses describe as the fiercest violence in years.

 

 

According to sources told ANN News, the situation turned deadly after the Joint Awami Action Committee’s long march reached Muzaffarabad, the regional capital. The escalating violence has reportedly prompted several senior PoK leaders to flee the region, while federal ministers from Pakistan rushed to initiate emergency negotiations with the Action Committee in a desperate bid to restore calm.

 

In a deeply alarming development, media freedom came under direct attack when police stormed the Muzaffarabad Press Club. Multiple journalists were assaulted and detained. Twelve media persons sustained injuries, with one journalist critically wounded.

Press associations strongly condemned the crackdown, calling it a blatant attempt to silence independent reporting on the protests. A senior journalist told ANN News:

“This is an unprecedented attack on free press in PoK. Journalists were beaten simply for showing the reality on the ground.”

 

The role of Pakistani mainstream media has come under sharp criticism. Observers accuse it of “biased and irresponsible reporting”, claiming the coverage is attempting to link the popular movement with terrorism while shifting blame onto India.

However, protesters maintain that their struggle is a grassroots uprising against skyrocketing prices, unemployment, and systemic misgovernance in PoK.

 

Eyewitnesses described barricades, heavy shelling, and violent clashes across Muzaffarabad, Dadyal, and Kotli. Protesters hurled containers into rivers to block supply routes, while security forces fired tear gas and live rounds.

In some areas, security personnel reportedly surrendered to protesters, sources told ANN News, as anger spiraled beyond control. Analysts warn the heavy-handed crackdown is fuelling public fury and risks prolonging the confrontation.

 

The crisis has captured global headlines, with Amnesty International and the UN calling for restraint and an independent investigation into the deaths, injuries, and assaults on journalists.

 

According to a senior journalist who spoke to ANN News, the uprising is no longer just about inflation:

“This has now turned into a rebellion against Islamabad’s grip. If not handled wisely, it could spiral into a civil strife inside PoK.”

 

“Pakistan’s Kashmir Powder Keg: Deadly Protests Expose Cracks in Islamabad’s Grip on Disputed Territory”

Sparked by economic grievances—flour and electricity price hikes, unemployment, and anger over reserved assembly seats—the movement has evolved into a wider revolt against military overreach and corruption. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s hurried formation of a high-level committee reflects Islamabad’s desperation, as shutter-down strikes paralyze the region and internet blackouts attempt to stifle dissent.

Kya Palestinian Riasat Kai Qayyam Per Pakistan Israel Ko Tasleem Kar Lai Ga?

 

 

videos showing security forces firing on unarmed crowds and journalists being beaten inside press clubs, international watchdogs warn that Islamabad’s iron-fist approach could backfire, fracturing its hold on a territory long claimed as its own.