Muzaffarabad, Pakistan administered Kashmir — Tensions continue to rise in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Azad Jammu & Kashmir – AJK) as police personnel have announced a district-wide protest in Rawalakot starting July 24, accusing the government of reneging on promises made during earlier negotiations.
The unrest began on July 21 when police employees from Grade 1 to 16 launched a strike, presenting an 18-point charter of demands. Following the strike, a government committee was formed, and assurances were given that 80% of their demands would be met through formal notification by July 24, with the remaining to be implemented within two weeks.
However, in a press conference held earlier today at the Press Information Department (PID) Muzaffarabad, senior ministers from AJK’s ruling coalition — including Senior Minister and Interior Minister Col. (R) Waqar Noor of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (referred to locally as “Lota Party”), and Law Minister Mian Abdul Waheed of the Pakistan Peoples Party — claimed that several demands had been accepted and declared the strike over.
Contrary to the official statement, the Police Association of AJK rejected the announcement, asserting that only 5% of their demands were accepted and officially notified — a clear deviation from the promised 80%. The association strongly rejected both the press conference claims and the partial implementation.
Further deepening the crisis, the Inspector General’s office in Muzaffarabad issued a directive to all district police heads (SPs) across AJK’s ten districts. The letter instructed them to send reports every two hours on the status of police stations and checkpoints, and to treat striking personnel as absent, initiating departmental inquiries against them.
In response, the Police Association of AJK condemned the directive, calling it an act of retaliation. The police force in Poonch Division, particularly Rawalakot District, issued a formal press release announcing a full-scale protest sit-in at Rawalakot District Complex starting tomorrow, July 24.
Additionally, police employees across AJK have been urged to stage similar protests at their respective district headquarters, remove their uniforms’ caps and belts, and suspend all official duties — symbolically rejecting the government’s “broken promises and authoritarian tactics.”
The crisis poses a serious challenge to the AJK government, with implications for law and order across the region. Civil society activists and human rights observers have called for immediate dialogue, transparency, and fulfillment of commitments to prevent further unrest in an already politically sensitive region.
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