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At least 16 protesters were killed and more than 37 others injured after Pakistani Army personnel and Rangers opened fire on a large crowd of demonstrators in Rawalakot in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), sources said on Thursday. The firing took place during a mass rally against rising prices, electricity tariffs and what protesters described as the denial of basic political and economic rights.
The latest bloodshed came amid escalating unrest across POK, where demonstrations over economic hardships and governance issues have intensified in recent days. Protesters have been demanding affordable electricity, subsidised wheat and rice and greater rights. Authorities have also imposed internet restrictions in several areas as part of the security crackdown, further fuelling anger among the people.
According to local accounts, tens of thousands of people had gathered at Rawalakot's Eidgah Ground when security personnel opened fire on the crowd. Witnesses described scenes of panic as people fled the gathering, while hospitals reportedly struggled to cope with the influx of injured protesters.
The shootings triggered fresh protests in several towns, including Khai Gala, where markets were shut and residents marched against the crackdown. Women, children and elderly citizens joined demonstrations demanding justice for those killed.
Since the unrest began on June 5, 53 civilians, including 16 deaths in Rawalakot, have died in the ongoing crackdown on protests across POK.
The latest incident in Rawalakot follows days of unrest across POK after authorities banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society group that has spearheaded protests over economic and political grievances. Security forces have carried out arrests, imposed a Rs 1 crore bounty on protest organisers, tightened movement restrictions and suspended internet services in parts of the illegally occupied region as protests spread.
Despite the brutality by Pakistani security forces, protest leaders have vowed to continue their movement, arguing that residents are seeking basic economic relief and democratic rights. Addressing supporters after the firing, movement leaders said the agitation would continue despite the loss of lives.
Addressing thousands of protesters, Sardar Aman Khan, a protester, said an unarmed population demanding hospitals, bread, jobs and basic rights were being branded as “terrorists” by the Pakistan Army and the Islamabad regime.
“Ask the people of Balochistan who the terrorists are. They will point at the Army. Ask the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They will say the same. Ask Sindh and Punjab, and today even the people of POK are saying it loud and clear: the real terror comes from those in uniform. Yeh jo dehshatgardi hain, iske peeche vardi hain (Those in uniform are the force behind this terrorism.)”
India has strongly condemned the killings of Kashmiris by Pakistani authorities. New Delhi described the deaths as a "massacre" and said the incident exposed Islamabad's continued denial of fundamental rights to people living in territories under its control. It also hoped the international community would hold Pakistan accountable for the violence and urged it to respect the rights of the people of POK.
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Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Jun 11, 2026 21:05 IST
