Midnight Crackdown In PoK: Rawalakot Echoes With Gunfire And Anti-Pakistan Slogans
Midnight Crackdown In PoK: Rawalakot Echoes With Gunfire And Anti-Pakistan Slogans Reported By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 08:34 IST Local accounts circulating from the
Midnight Crackdown In PoK: Rawalakot Echoes With Gunfire And Anti-Pakistan Slogans Reported By, Last Updated: August 03, 2026, 08:34 IST Local accounts circulating from the area described a heavy security presence around key protest sites and intermittent sounds of firing Rapid Read Protesters Hold Ground In PoK, March To Muzaffarabad May Begin Soon Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) witnessed another tense night as reports emerged of gunfire in Rawalakot during a late-night security operation, with protesters continuing anti-government slogans despite the heightened deployment of Pakistani security forces. Local accounts circulating from the area described a heavy security presence around key protest sites and intermittent sounds of firing, although the exact circumstances of the reported gunshots have not been independently verified.
The latest unrest comes against the backdrop of a rapidly escalating political crisis in PoK, where demonstrations against Pakistan’s legislative assembly elections have intensified over the past week. Rawalakot has become the epicentre of the agitation led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has accused Islamabad of manipulating the electoral process and suppressing dissent. Protesters had earlier begun a sit-in in Rawalakot and announced preparations for a march towards Muzaffarabad, signalling that the movement was not limited to local grievances but aimed at challenging what they describe as political interference from Pakistan. News18 had reported that demonstrators were determined to continue the agitation despite arrests, restrictions and the growing security crackdown.
The current confrontation follows days of deadly violence across PoK. According to protest groups and local activists, at least 20 people were killed and many others injured during clashes with security forces in Rawalakot and surrounding areas. Pakistani authorities have acknowledged casualties but dispute several of the protesters’ claims. The violence has drawn wider attention to the deteriorating situation in the region. Reuters reported that the elections have been overshadowed by serious unrest, allegations of rigging and clashes between protesters and security personnel. The roots of the agitation lie in long-standing complaints over governance, economic neglect and the allocation of assembly seats reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir, which many local protesters say allows Islamabad to influence PoK politics.
The BriefWire