The simmering discontent in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has erupted once again. On Saturday, thousands marched in Kotli against the government and army’s decades of exploitation, demanding justice and freedom. The Pakistani response was predictable: bullets, tear gas, and brute force against unarmed civilians.
Kotli Turns into a Battlefield
The immediate spark was the tragic death of a six-year-old girl, Tasmia Suhail, whose body was found after being missing for three days. Outrage over the incident drew massive crowds into the streets. But behind this grief lay years of pent-up anger, over inflation, unemployment, heavy taxation, and the plundering of PoK’s natural resources.
Protesters, led by the Joint Awami Action Committee, raised slogans of “We will take our freedom at any cost.” Security forces retaliated by firing bullets and tear gas shells into the crowds. Several protesters were injured, yet the people stood their ground, refusing to be silenced.
Pakistan’s Harsh Crackdown
Instead of dialogue, Islamabad deployed nearly 2,000 police personnel and 167 Frontier Corps platoons to crush the movement. Even tourists and journalists were blocked from entering the region. Those journalists who protested against this gag order were themselves treated as enemies.
The scenes in Kotli echo earlier demonstrations in Rawalkot and Muzaffarabad, where people had taken to the streets against the government and military. Each time, Pakistan’s rulers responded not with solutions but with force.
A People’s Anger
The people of PoK are no longer protesting just one tragedy or policy. Their anger is against the entire system—an army that acts like an occupying force, a government that robs them of their resources, and a political order that treats them as second-class citizens.
From the capital of Muzaffarabad to Kotli and Rawalkot, the message is the same: Pakistan’s grip is slipping. The anger is no longer hidden; it is spilling out onto the streets, loud and unrelenting.
Cracks in Pakistan’s Edifice
The growing unrest in PoK mirrors the wider instability across Pakistan, whether over economic collapse, ethnic alienation, or political chaos. Every new protest points to a larger reality: Pakistan’s artificial construct is under pressure, and the cracks are deepening.
It is no longer a question of if, but when these fractures will push the state toward a serious break.
What began with calls for justice over a child’s death has expanded into a collective cry for dignity, resources, and liberation.
The more Islamabad tries to suppress, the louder these voices will become.
