PoJK faces showdown as JAAC ultimatum raises tensions
Tensions in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) have escalated after the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) gave Islamabad a 48-hour ultimatum. JAAC warned of a “grand and final” phase of protests if its 38-point charter is ignored, and it planned major demonstrations before the July 27 Assembly elections. What began as economic complaints has now turned into a direct challenge to the region’s political relationship with Pakistan.
JAAC is a coalition of traders, transporters, lawyers, students, and civil society groups formed in 2023. It initially gained support due to rising electricity bills and wheat prices, even though PoJK has its own hydropower resources. The group’s 38-point charter, created after deadly protests in 2025, calls for immediate relief and long-term reforms.
Economic demands include setting electricity tariffs based on local generation costs and providing wheat subsidies, as in Gilgit-Baltistan. Structural demands include reducing elite privileges, shrinking the PoJK Cabinet, cutting bureaucratic perks, and, most controversially, abolishing 12 reserved seats in the PoJK Legislative Assembly for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir who live in Pakistan.
JAAC argues that these seats allow parties close to Islamabad to influence PoJK Governments without being accountable to local people. After violent clashes in 2025, an agreement promised compensation, new education boards, health funding, infrastructure projects, and a monitoring committee. However, only some of these promises have been kept, leading to renewed protests.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruling upheld their constitutional status, requiring amendments to remove them. JAAC responded with renewed agitation. On June 5, authorities banned the organisation under anti-terrorism laws. A region-wide shutdown and wheel-jam strike on June 9 triggered clashes, particularly in Rawalakot and Poonch, with reports of multiple deaths and injuries on both sides. Security forces were deployed in large numbers, and communications were restricted in parts of the region.
People in PoJK accuse authorities of using arrests, excessive force, and a blockade that has caused shortages. Sit-ins continue, and leaders have promised to keep protesting until all demands are met.
As the July 9 deadline neared, JAAC stepped up its calls for action, urging people in PoJK and the Kashmiri diaspora to join a “grand and final” protest. They plan new demonstrations and may march on the capital, similar to earlier threats of a long march. The timing is deliberate, as nominations for the July 27 elections have started, and any unrest could disrupt the electoral process that Islamabad wants to show as normal.
There are deeper issues behind the current crisis. Most of the hydropower produced in PoJK is fed into Pakistan’s national grid, yet local people still pay high electricity rates. Islamabad still has strong control over the region, and real autonomy is limited, even though the area is called “Azad.” The refugee seats show this imbalance, as critics say they weaken local representation.
In the coming days, it will become clear whether talks will work or if protests and unrest will continue and become even riskier. JAAC’s actions show how frustrated ordinary people are with broken promises. Pakistan now faces the challenge of controlling the unrest without making people feel more alienated or attracting international attention.
