Massive demonstrations across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have seen revolutionary slogans from India’s independence movement emerge as symbols of civil resistance, even as security forces escalate a violent crackdown that has left over 37 civilians dead and more than 200 injured.
Amid the growing violence—led by security forces under Field Marshal Asim Munir—protesters have taken to the streets reciting Indian freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil’s famous patriotic lines:
“Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai, dekhna hai zor kitna bazu-e-katil mein hai.”
(The desire for sacrifice is in our hearts; let us see how much strength remains in the executioner’s arm.)
Videos circulating on social media show women, children, and youth gathering across major urban hubs, including Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad. Demonstrators were also recorded chanting “Inquilab Zindabad” (“Long live the revolution”), the historic slogan coined in 1921 by Urdu poet and freedom activist Maulana Hasrat Mohani.
Causes and Escalation of the Unrest
The ongoing unrest is being spearheaded by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an umbrella alliance of local civil society groups and trade unions. The demonstrations originally erupted over a range of long-standing socio-economic and political grievances:
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Rising Cost of Living: High inflation, soaring electricity tariffs, and severe shortages of subsidized flour and basic commodities.
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Electoral Controversies: Deep-seated anger surrounding local body and legislative elections, marked by allegations of systemic rigging and institutional apathy.
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Opposition to Reserved Seats: Resistance against the allocation of 12 legislative assembly seats reserved for refugees residing elsewhere in Pakistan, which local organizers argue politically disenfranchises residents of PoK.
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Human Rights Violations: Widespread outrage over enforced disappearances, administrative negligence, and state violence against minority groups.
Escalating Violence and Diplomatic Reaction
The violence reached critical levels following three days of intense clashes between state forces and civilian demonstrators. Among those killed in the crackdown was Usman Nazir, brother of JAAC Central Committee member Umar Nazir.
Reacting to the developments, official sources in New Delhi characterized the local elections and political apparatus in PoK as an attempt by Islamabad to cloak its illegal occupation while obscuring severe, ongoing human rights abuses in the region.
