Amid Unrest, PoK Leader Accuses Pakistan Army of Arming Kashmiris

The speech drew repeated applause from the large gathering, underscoring growing public support for the movement, which has been pressing authorities over a list of political, economic and governance-related demands.

The JAAC leadership also warned Islamabad, demanding that the government accept and implement the movement’s 38-point charter through negotiations. The leaders said that failure to do so could trigger a mass march towards Muzaffarabad, the capital of POK.

They further warned that if such a march takes place, the movement’s agenda could expand beyond its existing demands to include calls for Pakistan to completely withdraw from POK.

The latest remarks come amid continuing protests across POK, where demonstrators have been demanding greater rights, economic relief and administrative reforms. The movement has emerged as one of the most significant challenges to Pakistan’s authority in the region in recent years.

Led primarily by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), thousands of citizens, including families and students, have hit the streets to march against skyrocketing electricity bills, a lack of subsidised wheat and chronic inflation. The unrest has quickly shifted from simple economic grievances to a broader structural movement, with demonstrators fiercely demanding greater local accountability, fair resource allocation and governance reforms from Islamabad.