"Witch Killing Own People": PoK Protests Leader Slams Pak Government, Army

In a fiery speech amid the ongoing civilian uprising in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Shaukat Nawaz Mir, a senior leader of the Awami Action Committee (AAC), compared the Pakistan Army and government to "a witch bent on killing people", accusing them of crushing the very population they claim to represent. He declared that the so-called 'Azad Kashmir' is not free at all but shackled by decades of exploitation and repression.

Mir's blistering attack on Islamabad and Rawalpindi comes as protests intensify across PoK, where civilians are demanding justice, basic rights, and an end to what they describe as systemic oppression. "Our struggle is not against an individual, but against an entire system," he told thousands of demonstrators. "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."

The statement came on the third day of the indefinite strike and protest by the civil society in PoJK even as Pakistani forces killed at least 12 civilians and injured over 200. Three policemen were also killed in the firing by Pakistani Rangers and Islamabad Police, while nine others were injured.

Accusations of brutality and hypocrisy

The AAC leader charged that Pakistan's rulers are guilty of the very atrocities they accuse others of committing. Referring to Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's controversial remarks branding Hindus as 'kaafir' before the Pahalgam attack, Mir said: "They accuse India's Hindus of atrocities while their own hands are drenched in the blood of Kashmiris.

According to him, voices of dissent are being brutally suppressed, local media silenced, and protesters treated as enemies. "Our demand is clear - justice and the rights of the people," Mir asserted. "Until we achieve this, we will not step back."

Civilian anger boils over

What began as demonstrations against skyrocketing electricity bills and food shortages has transformed into a full-fledged movement directly confronting Pakistan's government and army.

Protesters accuse authorities of decades of neglect, corruption, and denial of political rights.

NDTV had earlier reported that at least a dozen people were killed and hundreds injured after Pakistani forces opened fire on crowds in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Poonch and other areas of PoK, in one of the deadliest crackdowns in recent years. Instead of quelling dissent, the bloodshed has only deepened public anger and fuelled calls for accountability.

A turning point in PoK

Observers say the scale and tone of the protests mark a historic shift. For the first time in decades, slogans in PoK are directly targeting Islamabad and the military establishment, shattering the facade of 'Azad Kashmir'. "This struggle will last till our last breath," Mir vowed. "We will not be silenced. The people of PoK will not bow down to oppression anymore."

The 'Long March' announced earlier by the Awami Action Committee will continue Thursday even as Pak forces contemplate further action. Internet and communication blockades continue across the region and there has been sparse coverage on the issue in Pakistani media.

As protests spread, Pakistan's government and military now face an unprecedented challenge from within a region they claim to defend but where, increasingly, the people openly accuse them of being their oppressors.