RAWALAKOT: At least 21 people were reported killed and dozens injured on Monday after security forces allegedly opened fire on participants of a long march organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in Rawalakot, marking the bloodiest day in months of unrest that has gripped Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
The casualty figures, however, so far remain contested.
While JAAC leaders and residents claimed that 20-21 protesters were killed during the security operation, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir police declined to confirm any fatalities. They said official verification would only be possible after bodies were received by hospitals and medico-legal procedures, including post-mortem examinations, were completed.
By late evening, community sources had identified nine of the deceased as Basit Shah of Hajira, Faheem Afzal of Chhota Gala, Usman Nazir, Kashif Yaqoob of Chhota Gala, Khawaja Zargham of Darek, Rawalakot, Naeem Butt of Bela Dhamol in Kotli, Sardar Jaffar Pehlwan of Pappay Nar, Tararkhel, the son of Mushtaq Sahib from Panakha, Hajira, and Nisar Shaheen of Baloch Dhaman, Pakhonar.
JAAC and local sources said the remaining victims included Mohammad Muzammal, Zargham Khalil, Fida Hussain, Saqib Hanif, Saqib Ishaq, Arif Asghar, Usman Gul, Arsalan Latif Dar, Naeem Butt, Kamran Mushtaq and Ali Hussain, Faisal Sabir, Suhail Maqbool. One person’s identity has yet to be established. His body remains at Pallandri Hospital.
A video of a person identified as Aqeel Bhai was shared on the X @Ajk_updates_ of the situation prevailing in Pakistan administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Among those reported killed was Usman Nazir, the brother of senior JAAC leader Umar Nazir Kashmiri, whose death became a rallying point for protesters.
The violence followed the collapse of negotiations between JAAC representatives and government officials. The committee had given the authorities until around 1.00 PM Monday to accept its demands, including the release of detained activists, withdrawal of criminal cases and implementation of commitments reached during previous rounds of dialogue.
When no agreement emerged, thousands of protesters assembled on the outskirts of Rawalakot and began their announced long march towards Muzaffarabad.
According to JAAC, security forces first attempted to stop the march through heavy shelling before opening direct fire on demonstrators as they advanced from Darek towards Rawalakot city. Protest leaders said the firing continued intermittently for several hours, leaving dozens wounded.
Blackout and Body Counts
Local residents told Kashmir Times that Rawalakot's only government hospital became inaccessible after security forces took control of the premises, forcing relatives and volunteers to transport many of the injured to hospitals in Pallandri, Hajira and Mang.
At least two of the injured have been shifted to Islamabad for medical treatment.
Witnesses said hundreds of residents gathered at Pallandri Hospital to donate blood as ambulances and private vehicles continued to arrive carrying the wounded throughout the afternoon.
People evacuating the injured alleged that mobile telephone signals remained suspended on the Rawalakot-Pallandri road, while electricity and internet services across Rawalakot and adjoining areas were simultaneously shut down, making communication with the outside world nearly impossible.
Despite the crackdown, JAAC leaders claimed that protest convoys entering from several directions succeeded in reaching central Rawalakot. According to the committee, demonstrators arriving from Khai Gala reached Chandni Chowk, while another procession entering from the Eidgah side advanced to Chinar Chowk.
Throughout the day, dozens of videos circulated on Facebook, X and WhatsApp showing large crowds carrying injured protesters, residents donating blood, continuous firing sounds, damaged vehicles and thousands of demonstrators chanting slogans against the government.
Other videos, which could not be independently verified, purported to show protesters carrying bodies wrapped in blankets, women appealing for safe passage for ambulances, and volunteers using private vehicles to transport casualties after roads were blocked.
Several local journalists and social media activists also claimed that doctors attempting to treat the injured were briefly detained and that access to parts of Rawalakot remained restricted. These claims could not be independently verified.
Police Contest Allegations
The official version differed sharply.
Inspector General of Police Captain (Retd.) Liaqat Ali Malik told the BBC that no official death toll could yet be confirmed because bodies had not been formally received through legal procedures. He added that casualty claims made during previous protests had also not always been substantiated.
In a separate statement, the Office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Poonch Region, alleged that armed groups associated with the banned Joint Awami Action Committee attempted to force their way into Rawalakot despite repeated warnings.
Police alleged that protesters opened fire on security personnel, injuring two police officers, and accused social media users of circulating misleading videos and false information to inflame the situation.
Polls Amid Confrontation
JAAC rejected those allegations, insisting that the procession remained peaceful until security forces resorted to force.
The latest violence comes after nearly two months of escalating confrontation between the government and JAAC. The movement, which began as a campaign over electricity tariffs, subsidised wheat prices and governance issues, expanded dramatically after authorities upheld the allocation of 12 reserved Assembly seats for refugees living in Pakistan, a move strongly opposed by JAAC. The committee argues that the arrangement dilutes the political representation of residents of the territory, while the government maintains that the refugee seats are constitutionally protected.
The region has witnessed repeated shutdowns, internet blackouts, arrests of protest leaders, sedition cases and prolonged negotiations over recent weeks. Although the government says most economic demands have already been accepted, JAAC insists that agreements have not been implemented in practice. Protest leaders have also demanded the release of detainees and withdrawal of criminal proceedings before ending their movement.
Monday's violence coincided with the first phase of elections to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimber districts. While polling continued in those districts under heavy security, unrest in Rawalakot overshadowed the electoral process and reinforced the growing political divide between the authorities and the protest movement.
With competing narratives, disputed casualty figures, communications blackouts and allegations of excessive use of force, the Rawalakot bloodshed marks the gravest escalation since the present phase of the JAAC movement began and is likely to draw increased scrutiny from human rights organisations and international observers.
Death Toll
Usman Nazir — Rawalakot (younger brother of Umar Nazir Kashmiri)
Naeem Butt — Kotli
Nisar Shaheen — Baloch
Kashif Yaqoob — Rawalakot
Sardar Fida Hussain — Garala, Trarkhal
Muzammil Ishaq — Ali Sojal
Basit Shah — Hajira
Faheem Afzal — Chota Gala, Rawalakot
Kamran Mushtaq — Hajira
Zargham Khalil — Drake, Rawalakot
Saqib Hanif — Rairban, Rawalakot
Saqib Ishaq — Namb Gorah, Pallandri
Ariel Asghar — Tatta Pani
Usman Gul — Drake Dhoke, Rawalakot
Jaffir Pehlwan — Pappay Nar, Trarkhal
Ali Hussain — Khari Sharif
Khawaja Abrar Latif Dar — Khurshidabad, Haveli
Kamran Hafeez — Kahuta, Haveli
Faisal Sabir — Namnota, Rawalakot
Suhail Maqbool — Bai Bhekh, Rawalakot
Unidentified young man — residence unknown (body remains at Pallandri Hospital)
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