A Tragedy Created by Those in Power
The killing of six civilians during clashes with Pakistani security forces has pushed Azad Jammu and Kashmir into another period of grief, anger and uncertainty. The violence reportedly erupted near the New Bus Terminal in Rawalakot after security personnel moved against civilians participating in protests over worsening economic and administrative conditions. Zahid Mughal, Zafar Mughal, Arsalan Akbar and Wajid Hayat were among those identified as having lost their lives, while the identities of the remaining victims were not immediately confirmed. These were not people carrying weapons against the state. They were residents of a region where families have been struggling with rising prices, food shortages, power cuts, unemployment, weak healthcare and an administration that remains distant from the daily suffering of the population. Their deaths cannot be dismissed as an unfortunate result of crowd control. They represent the consequences of a governing system that repeatedly refuses to listen until public frustration reaches the streets and is then answered with armed force.
Public Anger Was Ignored Until It Exploded
The unrest did not begin in a single day, and it was not created by a small group of agitators. It developed over years of broken promises, administrative neglect and growing public resentment. Ordinary people have repeatedly demanded affordable electricity, regular food supplies, better employment opportunities, improved healthcare and greater transparency in government decisions. These demands concern survival, dignity and basic public welfare. Instead of treating them as legitimate grievances, officials have often attempted to control protests through restrictions, intimidation and the deployment of security personnel. Civilian leaders have failed to establish meaningful communication with the public, while local institutions have appeared powerless or unwilling to challenge decisions imposed from above. By allowing grievances to remain unresolved, the authorities created the conditions for confrontation and then used that confrontation to justify further repression.
Security Forces Are Not a Substitute for Governance
Public problems cannot be solved through rifles, barricades and armed patrols. Food inflation cannot be reduced by firing into a crowd, electricity shortages cannot be corrected by arresting protesters and political dissatisfaction cannot be removed by deploying military and paramilitary personnel in civilian neighbourhoods. The involvement of security institutions in disputes concerning prices, public services and administrative failures reflects the weakness of civilian governance. When elected officials are unable to face their own population and depend on armed forces to impose order, the political system loses credibility. The reported use of live ammunition against civilians has created a deep sense of fear and betrayal. Every person involved in ordering, supervising or carrying out unlawful firing must be identified and held accountable. Rank, uniform and institutional affiliation cannot be allowed to provide protection from the law.
Internet Shutdowns Are Designed to Hide the Truth
The reported suspension of internet and communication services has further increased public anger. Communication blackouts do not restore peace. They isolate families, prevent injured people from seeking help, obstruct journalists and make it difficult to verify the actions of the authorities. During periods of unrest, people depend on mobile networks and the internet to locate missing relatives, contact hospitals and obtain reliable information. Cutting these services creates panic and allows rumours to spread. It also prevents images, testimonies and evidence from reaching the wider public. An administration that believes its actions are lawful should not fear independent reporting. Repeated communication shutdowns suggest that the objective is not merely to control unrest but also to control what people are allowed to see, hear and report. Silence imposed through technology is another form of repression, and it cannot erase the facts on the ground.
Hunger and Poverty Are Driving the Crisis
The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are not protesting because they enjoy confrontation. They are protesting because economic hardship has entered their homes. A 2025 study published in Nature reportedly found that around 66 per cent of the population depended on farming and livestock, while more than 57 per cent of households experienced food insecurity. Nearly 29 per cent of the population was reported to be undernourished, and food insecurity in some mountainous areas was said to affect an overwhelming majority of households. These figures reveal a crisis that has been ignored for too long. Families living in remote districts face high transportation costs, limited access to markets, poor infrastructure and few employment opportunities. Many young people are forced to leave their communities in search of work, while those who remain struggle to meet basic household expenses. Governments announce development packages and display figures in official reports, but ordinary residents continue to face empty kitchens, unpaid bills and declining living standards. A state that cannot provide food security has no moral right to treat hungry citizens as enemies.
Healthcare Failure Reflects Years of Neglect
The condition of public healthcare provides another example of how the population has been failed. Figures attributed to Pakistan’s Voluntary National Review Report indicate that around 39 per cent of children below five years of age suffer from stunted growth. Such a high rate reflects chronic malnutrition, poor maternal health, inadequate sanitation and limited access to medical care. Rural and mountainous communities frequently face shortages of doctors, medicines, ambulances and properly equipped hospitals. Pregnant women and seriously ill patients are often required to travel long distances for treatment, sometimes over unsafe roads and in difficult weather conditions. These failures did not appear suddenly. They are the result of years of insufficient investment and weak administrative planning. The authorities have had enough time to improve hospitals, nutrition programmes and emergency services, yet public money and political attention have repeatedly been directed elsewhere. The people are now paying the price through preventable illness, malnutrition and death.
Civilian Institutions Have Been Reduced to Spectators
The political structure governing the region has increasingly failed to represent the will of the people. Local representatives are expected to defend public interests, communicate grievances and prevent administrative disputes from turning into security crises. Instead, they often remain silent until protests become impossible to ignore. Important decisions are widely perceived to be influenced by institutions that are not directly accountable to local voters. This has created a serious crisis of confidence. Citizens no longer believe that their representatives possess the authority or courage to protect them when security agencies intervene. Civilian administration has been reduced to managing the consequences of decisions taken elsewhere, while the population remains excluded from meaningful participation. This arrangement cannot produce stability because it weakens democratic institutions and encourages the belief that only pressure from the streets can force the authorities to respond.
Justice Must Begin With an Independent Investigation
The deaths of six civilians require more than statements of regret and promises of compensation. An independent judicial investigation must determine who authorised the operation, who ordered the use of lethal force, what weapons were used and whether established procedures for crowd control were followed. The inquiry must include independent judges, lawyers, human-rights representatives and members of the affected communities. It cannot be left entirely to the same institutions whose conduct is being examined. The findings must be made public, and anyone responsible for unlawful firing must face criminal prosecution. Peaceful protesters detained without clear legal grounds should be released, communication services should be fully restored and journalists should be allowed unrestricted access to the affected areas. The families of those killed must receive financial compensation, legal support and complete information regarding the circumstances in which their relatives died. Justice delayed or hidden behind official committees will only deepen public resentment.
The Government Cannot Escape Responsibility
The present crisis is the result of years of administrative failure, political interference, economic neglect and the repeated suppression of public dissent. The people raised their voices because the system did not respond when they spoke quietly. They occupied streets because official offices remained closed to their concerns. They challenged the authorities because promises were repeatedly made and repeatedly broken. The responsibility for the violence therefore rests with those who allowed public grievances to grow and then chose force instead of dialogue. The government cannot demand loyalty while denying people affordable food, electricity, healthcare, employment and political dignity. It cannot claim to maintain peace while creating fear through armed deployment and communication blackouts. The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are not asking for special treatment. They are demanding the rights, services and respect that every government is obligated to provide. Bullets may clear a road for a few hours, but they cannot remove hunger, grief or public anger. Unless the authorities accept responsibility, punish those involved in unlawful violence and begin sincere negotiations with local communities, the region will remain trapped in a cycle of repression, protest and bloodshed.