Pakistani-Ruled Kashmir Is Facing a Brutal State Crackdown
The areas of Kashmir under Pakistani administration are supposed to have political autonomy, but that has long been a sham. The Pakistani authorities have responded to popular protests demanding real democracy with brutal repression.
The Pakistan-administered territory of Jammu Kashmir is witnessing the broadest confrontation between the masses and the Pakistani state in decades. Since early June, state security forces have killed dozens of protesters in a bid to crush the movement. (AFP / Getty Images)
The Pakistan-administered territory of Jammu Kashmir (PaJK) is witnessing the most extensive confrontation between the masses and the Pakistani state in decades. Between June 5 and July 27, at least forty-five people were killed as Islamabad sought to crush the movement before it could consolidate.
On July 27, security forces opened fire on thousands of unarmed protesters marching towards the town of Rawalakot, killing twenty-one people. The following day, another fourteen were gunned down in Rawalakot, Mirpur, and other towns, while two more protesters were killed on July 29, bringing the death toll from the latest crackdown to at least thirty-seven. There has been an internet shutdown in place since June 5. Cellular networks have also ceased to function. Such shutdowns routinely accompany state violence.
Sham Autonomy
The present confrontation started on June 5 and represents the third major phase of an Intifada-like uprising that has unfolded since 2023. Two previous uprisings won huge victories against the implementation of neoliberal measures: for instance, subsidies were revived while unbearably inflated utility bills were slashed.
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