Jalalabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) – May 22, 2025
A youth-led protest erupted in the Jalalabad area of District Neelum today, as members of the Jalalabad Youth Organization condemned the recent arrests of leaders from the Awami Action Committee Gilgit-Baltistan. The demonstrators described the arrests as unlawful and a deliberate attempt to silence those advocating for the region’s rights and equitable access to resources.
Protesting youth gathered in large numbers, holding placards and chanting slogans in solidarity with the detained leaders. Speaking at the rally, several young activists criticized the use of state power to suppress dissenting voices and said the leaders were targeted not for any crime, but for demanding basic rights and justice for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
“The arrests are not just illegal; they are morally wrong,” said one of the protest organizers. “These leaders raised their voices not for personal gain, but to speak up for the collective rights of their region. Silencing them is an attack on all those who believe in justice, equality, and democracy.”
The protesters drew attention to the growing trend of criminalizing peaceful political expression in marginalized regions, calling it a broader tactic of oppression used to stifle movements for self-determination and resource control.
According to the Jalalabad Youth Organization, the struggle for rights in Gilgit-Baltistan is not isolated but shared by other underserved communities across Pakistan-administered Kashmir and beyond. “This is not just Gilgit-Baltistan’s fight—it is the fight of students, workers, women, and all ordinary people who are asking for dignity and the right to live freely,” a protestor stated.
The organization demanded the immediate release of all detained leaders and urged the state to end its policy of repression. “These voices cannot be silenced,” the protestors asserted. “They come from hearts that beat for truth, justice, and the collective good.”
The demonstration ended peacefully, but the organizers vowed to continue raising their voices until justice is served and democratic freedoms are respected in the region.
