Awami Action Committee (AAC) leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir on Thursday accused Islamabad and the military establishment of crushing the very people they claim to represent.
Addressing thousands of demonstrators during the ongoing civilian uprising, Mir likened the Pakistan Army and government to “a witch bent on killing people” and declared that the so-called Azad Kashmir is “not free at all but shackled by decades of exploitation and repression.”
The statement came on the third consecutive day of strikes and protests by civil society in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), during which Pakistani forces killed at least 12 civilians and injured over 200.
Three policemen also lost their lives and nine others were wounded in firing by Pakistani Rangers and Islamabad Police.
Mir told the rally that the struggle underway in PoK is not aimed at an individual but against an entire system of oppression.
“This is the people’s struggle, this is your struggle, and this is the struggle of all of us. Together, we will raise our voice against this system,” he said.
Referring to Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s controversial remarks branding Hindus as “kaafir” before the Pahalgam attack, the AAC leader accused Islamabad of hypocrisy.
“They accuse India’s Hindus of atrocities while their own hands are drenched in the blood of Kashmiris,” he charged.
According to Mir, dissenting voices in PoK are being silenced, the local press muzzled, and protesters treated as enemies of the state.
“Our demand is clear, justice and the rights of the people. Until we achieve this, we will not step back,” he asserted.
What began as demonstrations over soaring electricity bills and food shortages has transformed into a wider movement against decades of neglect, corruption and denial of political rights.
On Wednesday, at least a dozen people were killed and hundreds injured after Pakistani forces opened fire on protesters in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Poonch and other areas, in one of the deadliest crackdowns in recent years.
The violence has only intensified public anger and fuelled calls for accountability.
Observers say the protests mark a historic moment as slogans in PoK now directly target Islamabad and Rawalpindi, tearing down the long-maintained facade of Azad Kashmir.
“This struggle will last till our last breath. We will not be silenced. The people of PoK will not bow down to oppression anymore,” Mir vowed.
The Awami Action Committee has confirmed that its planned Long March will continue on Thursday despite heavy deployments and threats of further action.
Internet and communication blockades remain in force across the region, while coverage of the unrest in Pakistan’s mainstream media has been minimal.