As tensions escalate in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), members of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) staged a protest outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford, UK. Expressing solidarity with the struggle in PoJK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB), the demonstrators supported the charter of demands put forth by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and criticized the deployment of the Punjab Constabulary and Frontier Corps from Punjab Province.
Dissent unfolded in Muzaffarabad, PoJK’s capital, with a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, catalyzed by a recent police crackdown. Clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators persisted, marked by stone-pelting and teargas shelling. The strike followed the arrests of leaders and activists from the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee in overnight police raids, prompting the committee to announce a long march towards Muzaffarabad on May 11.
#WATCH | UK: United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) organised a protest outside the Pakistani consulate in Bradford, United Kingdom, in solidarity with the major unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s (PoK) Muzaffarabad due to clashes between protestors and authorities.… pic.twitter.com/e4czK2S112
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2024
In response, Pakistani military rangers were deployed to control violent protests, following clashes in Mirpur that resulted in casualties and injuries. Mobile and internet services were suspended in various PoJK areas, including Bhimber, Mirpur, and Bagh Towns. Despite the unrest, the central leadership of the AAC emphasized the peaceful nature of their movement, distancing themselves from violent incidents during protests. Sajid Jagwal, an AAC member, emphasized their commitment to peaceful protest as they awaited resolution to their grievances.
