Overview
- Violent confrontations broke out in Rawalakot and other towns on Sunday after the Azad Kashmir government proscribed the Joint Awami Action Committee and moved to detain its leaders, leaving at least 11 people dead and dozens hurt according to official tallies.
- Officials say gunfire by protesters killed four police officers and a passerby and that security forces’ response killed several demonstrators, while JAAC and local sources allege a substantially higher civilian death toll.
- Authorities have imposed Section 144, deployed Rangers and paramilitary units across Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and other districts, made mass arrests and sealed JAAC offices to prevent a region‑wide long march planned for June 9.
- Internet and mobile data were suspended across parts of PoK, hampering independent verification of casualties and fueling calls from rights groups and British MPs for an impartial inquiry and the restoration of communications.
- The unrest centres on JAAC’s demand to abolish 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees, a change the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court said can only come through a constitutional amendment by an elected assembly, raising risks to the July 27 vote and residents’ daily lives.