Is the voice of dissent being suppressed by declaring a mass movement in PoK as a terrorist organization? Was JKJAAC activist Shahzeb Habib’s death an encounter or alleged extrajudicial killing? Internet shutdown, hundreds of arrests and ban on outsiders – what is being hidden in PoK? Restrictions, repression and violence just before the elections – will fair voting be possible in PoK?
PoK Human Rights Crisis: The heart-wrenching news coming from Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) has shocked the entire world. On one hand, Pakistan calls itself the messiah of democracy, while on the other hand, it is suppressing the voice of its own people in PoK with the help of gunpowder. Two major international human rights organizations – Amnesty International and the International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) – issued an emergency statement on Tuesday exposing Pakistan’s cruelty. The organizations have warned that declaring a peaceful civil movement a ‘terrorist organisation’ and opening fire on innocent civilians is evidence of a complete violation of basic human rights.
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Operation ‘Blackout’: Why was PoK cut off from the outside world?
The suspense and fear can be gauged from the fact that the Pakistani rulers have transformed the entire PoK into an impenetrable fort. IHRF made a very shocking revelation that the internet and mobile networks have been completely disrupted till at least June 12. Not only this, tourists and outsiders have been ordered to leave the area immediately and a strict ban has been imposed on the entry of any outsider till June 20. Human rights organizations believe that the Pakistani Army has only one objective behind this ‘digital blackout’ and travel restrictions – to prevent the stories of massacres and atrocities happening there from reaching the outside world.
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Shahzeb Habib’s death: An incident that sparked anger
This bloody drama started when the talks between ‘Jammu-Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee’ (JKJAAC) and the Pakistani government suddenly broke down. JKJAAC was demanding the abolition of 12 reserved seats in the PoK assembly, which are used by Islamabad’s puppet governments to manipulate elections. Instead of settling through talks, on June 5, Pakistan declared this mass movement a ‘terrorist organization’. Soon after, Shahzeb Habib, a prominent activist of the committee, was shot dead by the police in his car. Amnesty International has clearly termed it an ‘extra-judicial execution’, as Shahzeb posed no immediate threat to the security forces.
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What does JKJAAC want?
JKJAAC is not a new organization. In the last few years, it has emerged as a major mass movement in PoK on issues like power crisis, inflation, local rights and political representation. The latest controversy started over the assembly seats reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir who went to Pakistan after 1947. The organization alleges that these seats are used to influence the local political balance. When talks between the government and the organization failed, an area-wide strike was declared, which changed the course of events.
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Pile of dead bodies outside the hospital: When Rawalakot turned into a cantonment
After Shahzeb’s murder, anger erupted like lava in the valleys of PoK. On June 7, when thousands of people gathered outside the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalakot during the post-mortem of Shahzeb’s body, Pakistani paramilitary forces opened direct fire on the unarmed protesters. In this fierce clash, 8 protesters and 4 policemen were killed on the spot. By June 8 and 9, the situation had become so bad that the total number of civilian deaths crossed 25, including women. YouTuber and journalist Sohrab Barkat, who showed the truth, has also been put behind bars and more than 100 leaders of the committee have been arrested and their offices sealed.
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Is this the first time? Old events also give indications
Human rights groups claim that the current crisis is not an isolated incident. Earlier in 2024 and 2025, there had been violent clashes during JKJAAC-related protests, resulting in deaths of both protesters and security forces. This is why international organizations have seen this as a frequently repeated pattern. He says that if immediate steps are not taken to calm the situation, we may see more violence and instability in the future.
Bloody Pattern of Cruelty: Electoral Hypocrisy in the Shadow of Repression?
Amnesty International’s deputy regional director for South Asia, Isabelle Lassie, said of the besieged Islamabad: “It is deeply inappropriate and unlawful to label a civilian organization ‘terrorist’ without any solid basis and to seal off an entire area.” Both IHRF and Amnesty reminded that this was not the first incident. Even in the Long March of May 2024, Pakistan had killed 3 protesters by firing real bullets, and in October 2025 also 9 people were killed. This is a deliberate repressive policy.
Anxiety increased before elections, will fair voting be possible?
The biggest suspense is that on one hand dead bodies are falling in PoK, on the other hand the Pakistani government has announced to hold regional elections there on July 27, 2026. Human rights organizations have sharply warned that holding elections in an area where public movement is restricted, leaders are in jail and the internet is shut down is just an international sham and a mockery of human rights. Will the world be able to stop this atrocities, or will the voice of PoK be suppressed forever? This question still remains.