Thousands Rally Across AJK as Shaukat Nawaz Mir’s Arrest Sparks Anger
Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Azad Jammu and Kashmir after the arrest of activist leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir, turning a political dispute into a wider public show of anger and defiance. The protests, which spread through towns including Muzaffarabad, Abbaspur, Hajira, Tatta Pani, Trarkhel, Palandri, Titari Note and Kakra, reflect deep frustration over arrests, economic hardship and demands for greater political rights.
In many places, crowds included women, children and elderly residents, giving the demonstrations a strong community feel as well as a political one. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Release Shaukat Nawaz Mir” and “Action Committee, Action Committee,” while reports from the ground described shutter-down strikes, road blockages and heavy police presence in some areas.
Mir is a key figure in the banned Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, a civil society alliance that has been leading protests over electricity prices, inflation, flour shortages, unemployment and the issue of reserved legislative seats for refugees. He was arrested in late June during a security operation in the Dhirkot area of Bagh district and later taken to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, according to reports cited by local officials and international media.
The arrest has added fuel to an already volatile movement. Reuters reported that earlier clashes in June left 11 people dead and more than 70 injured, while later reporting said the unrest continued to spread despite the ban on the group and the detention of its supporters. Pakistani officials have defended their actions as necessary to restore order, while activists say the crackdown is meant to silence a movement built around basic economic and democratic grievances.arabnews+3
UK and Europe
In the UK, the unrest has drawn attention from Kashmiri diaspora groups and some parliamentarians, with protests reported in London, Bradford and other cities, alongside renewed criticism of the crackdown in AJK. Pakistan’s foreign ministry has rejected what it called “unwarranted” criticism from British MPs, while a protest in London on July 5 was described by supporters as a show of solidarity with people in Azad Kashmir.organiser+2
Across European capitals, the issue appears to be gaining traction mainly through diaspora activism rather than formal government action. The strongest visible reaction reported so far has come from the UK, especially London, where public rallies and political pressure have kept the crisis in view.
