Islamabad, August 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been spearheading protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK), has alleged that two people were injured after Pakistani security forces opened fire in Rawalakot.
The JAAC called for an immediate end to the alleged use of force against civilians and urged international human rights organisations and media outlets to closely monitor the situation in PoK.
In a video shared by the JAAC on X, several people can be seen gathered inside a room while a man receives medical treatment. The man claims that a person was injured after security forces opened fire at protesters and says the movement would continue.
“Two people have been injured following firing by security forces in Rawalakot. The use of force against civilians is deeply alarming,” the JAAC said in its post, calling for an end to violence and international monitoring of the situation.
The allegation came a day after thousands of people participated in protest rallies across several parts of PoK in support of the JAAC and against what the committee described as violence by Pakistani security forces over recent months.
Videos shared on social media, including by the JAAC, showed large gatherings in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bokhara and Mandhol.
“Once again, the people of Rawalakot took to the streets in support of the Action Committee and raised their voices against the forces’ brutal violence,” the JAAC said.
In Bokhara, large numbers of women and children carrying flags participated in a rally and raised slogans including “Inquilab Ayega”. Thousands of women and children also joined a protest in Mandhol in PoK’s Poonch district.
A separate rally in Rawalakot saw protesters voicing support for the JAAC and raising slogans against alleged violence by security forces. Protesters also chanted slogans including “ye gundagardi na bhai na, ye daishtgardi na bhai na” and called for unity across Mirpur, Kotli, Rawalakot, Bagh and Muzaffarabad.
The JAAC said the participation of women and children in Rawalakot reflected the movement’s growing reach and claimed protesters were demanding fundamental rights, justice and implementation of public demands.
PoK has witnessed sustained confrontation between sections of the local population and the Pakistani state, with protests that initially focused on electricity prices and the cost of essential commodities expanding into demands for political reforms, greater accountability and representative governance. The protests have also been accompanied by reports of deadly violence, internet suspension and allegations of police brutality.
On August 1, JAAC member Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri claimed that more than 50 people had been killed and hundreds injured during a crackdown by Pakistani forces in PoK.
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