Dozens killed in PoK clashes as protesters avoid hospitals for fear of arrest

A protest movement in PoK has escalated into deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with dozens of people reportedly killed across the region in recent weeks, the BBC reported. The protests have been led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding cheaper electricity and flour as well as better access to education, healthcare and other basic services. The movement says an agreement reached with the governments of Pakistan and PoK in October to address some of its demands has not been implemented. The BBC reported that Rawalakot, one of the main centres of the protests, was experiencing severe disruption, with roads blocked, shops shut and internet access cut off.

Makeshift clinic treats dozens of critically injured

The BBC visited a makeshift clinic near the main protest site, where a spare bedroom had been converted into a medical supply area and a bed placed outside beneath a tarpaulin was being used to treat injured protesters. A doctor identified by the BBC as Dr Anwar said the clinic had treated around 50 to 60 critically injured people since July 27, including an estimated 15 to 20 people with gunshot wounds. The doctor said the facility could provide basic emergency treatment, including stopping bleeding, dressing wounds and removing superficial bullets, but lacked the equipment required for serious injuries involving the chest, abdomen, head or other vital organs. He also said protesters were reluctant to seek treatment at the main hospital because of fears they could be arrested or shot there. Authorities have rejected that claim. The BBC spoke to families who said relatives had been shot during the protests. One woman, identified as Asma, said she was at a demonstration when she learned that her only son had been shot. Another man, Salman, told the BBC that his younger brother had died.

JAAC and authorities trade accusations

The JAAC says its demonstrations are peaceful and focused on economic and basic-rights demands. The group has rejected allegations that it is responsible for violence, while authorities have accused it of being armed and attempting to disrupt ongoing elections in the region. The JAAC was banned in June and labelled foreign-funded terrorists by the authorities, according to the BBC. The group rejected the characterisation and said its financial support was from the PoK diaspora and not India, an accusation that Pakistan has tried to make on multiple occasions. Authorities have also accused the group of attacking law-enforcement personnel and obstructing public order. Officials have released drone footage that they said showed JAAC members carrying guns on rooftops and displayed weapons they said had been recovered from the group. The government has rejected allegations that security forces fired indiscriminately at peaceful protesters, saying law-enforcement personnel acted against people involved in attacks on security forces, threats to public safety or obstruction of lawful authority. The JAAC, meanwhile, has alleged that security forces were responsible for firing on protesters. Umar Nazir, a member of the group's core committee, also alleged that people had infiltrated the movement and may have carried out violence to support the authorities' narrative, though he provided no evidence for the claim. The BBC said that during protests it attended, its journalists saw no weapons or shooting among demonstrators, although gunshots were heard overnight and it could not establish who was firing or at what.

Food shortages, roadblocks add to tensions

The unrest has also disrupted supplies in Rawalakot. The BBC reported seeing food shortages, with most shops closed and protesters sharing available food. Some residents described attempts to smuggle rice into the city. Several roads have been blocked by fallen trees and other debris. Authorities have blamed the JAAC for the blockades, while also denying that they were preventing food or medical supplies from reaching Rawalakot. The protests come as local elections are taking place in PoK, adding another layer of tension to the confrontation.