Event Summary
The 2025 Azad Kashmir Civil Rights and Economic Justice Protests marked one of the largest public uprisings in Pakistan-administered Kashmir’s recent history. The movement, led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a coalition of traders, lawyers, students, and civil society actors emerged in late September 2025 in response to deepening economic hardship and perceived government neglect. Unlike previous protest that were largely sectoral or economic, this movement expanded into a multi-stakeholder campaign addressing structural governance issues such as legislative reform, accountability, and local control over resources. It drew wider participation across districts and social classes, signaling the growing capacity of civil society networks to organize sustained, cross-regional action. Protesters raised a comprehensive 38-point charter of demands that called for improved public services and the elimination of elite privileges and corruption within the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) administration, among others. They also demanded the abolition of twelve reserved legislative seats for Kashmiri refugees living outside AJK, which they viewed as a political tool of manipulation by federal authorities.
The demonstrations began with strikes and “wheel-jam” shutdowns across major towns including Muzaffarabad, Kotli, Mirpur, and Rawalakot. As participation swelled, the authorities imposed communication blackouts and deployed heavy contingents of security forces to contain the unrest. Tensions escalated sharply when security personnel clashed with demonstrators, using tear gas, baton charges, and live ammunition, resulting in reports of 4-10 casualties on both sides and over a hundred injuries.
Amid mounting public pressure, the federal and AJK governments initiated negotiations with protest leaders. A delegation sent by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s administration engaged with the JKJAAC, eventually leading to an agreement on 4 October 2025 with the government accepting most of the protesters’ demands, including initiating structural governance reforms. Following this commitment, the protest movement agreed to suspend demonstrations and restore normalcy across the region.
The 2025 Azad Kashmir Civil Rights and Economic Justice Protests have significantly reshaped the enabling environment in Pakistan administered Kashmir by exposing deep governance failures, eroding public trust, and simultaneously revitalizing civic mobilization. The movement’s broad-based demands have elevated citizen expectations for accountability and participatory governance, but the state’s harsh response including communication blackouts, arrests, and excessive use of force has narrowed civic space and undermined freedoms of expression and assembly.