Why are there protests in PoK?

UPSC Study Note: Why Are There Protests in PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir)?

1. At a Glance

• Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), officially called Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) by Pakistan, is territory administered by Pakistan but constitutionally claimed by India as part of Jammu & Kashmir. [S1]
• Recurring mass protests since 2024 reflect a deep governance, economic, and identity crisis in the region — directly relevant to India's foreign policy and the Kashmir question.
• Matters to UPSC aspirants for GS-II (India's neighbourhood policy, bilateral relations) and GS-I (India's territorial disputes, post-Partition history).
• India's MEA has used these protests to underline Pakistan's illegitimate occupation and exploitation of the region's natural resources. [S2]

2. Why in the News

• May 2024: Six days of violent mass protests (8–14 May 2024) erupted across AJK over soaring wheat/flour prices, electricity tariffs, and unjustified taxation; Pakistan security forces were deployed ahead of demonstrations. [S1]
• September–October 2025: The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) called a region-wide shutter-down and wheel-jam strike (29 Sep – 4 Oct 2025); at least 2 killed, 22 injured when Pakistani Rangers/security forces opened fire on protesters in Muzaffarabad. [S2]
• India's MEA publicly stated that protests were the result of Pakistan's policies that have "looted resources and deprived people of their own resources." [S3]

3. Background & Evolution

• 1947: Following Partition, Pakistani tribal militias and regular forces invaded the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir; ceasefire line created territory that India calls PoK and Pakistan calls AJK.
• 1949: Karachi Agreement placed AJK under a nominally separate "Azad" government, but Pakistan's federal government retained control over defence, foreign affairs, and communications.
• 1974: AJK Interim Constitution Act formally incorporated AJK into Pakistan's administrative framework while maintaining the fiction of a separate government.
• 2009 onwards: AJK Council and AJK Legislative Assembly granted more nominal powers under the 13th Amendment to the AJK Constitution, yet substantive control remains with Islamabad.
• 2018: Pakistan's CPEC (China–Pakistan Economic Corridor) investments in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) — geographically adjacent — intensified resource extraction grievances.
• 2022 onwards: Electricity tariff hikes driven by Pakistan's IMF-linked fiscal consolidation hit AJK consumers disproportionately, despite the region generating significant hydropower.
• 2024–2025: Protests escalated into organized civil society movements led by JKJAAC. [S1][S2]

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Economic

• AJK generates substantial hydropower (Mangla Dam, Neelum–Jhelum project) yet local consumers pay among the highest electricity tariffs in the Pakistan system — proceeds flow to Islamabad. [S1]
• Pakistan's IMF structural adjustment (2023–24 programme) mandated removal of energy subsidies, hitting AJK hardest as a low-income region.
• Wheat subsidy removal caused flour prices to spike by over 40% in early 2024, triggering the May protests. [S1]
• Pakistan PM's Rs 23 billion grant (2024) was a stopgap — did not address structural revenue-sharing grievances. [S2]

Geopolitical / Strategic

• India's MEA leveraged the protests to highlight Pakistan's moral disqualification to speak on Kashmiri self-determination, given its own repression in PoK. [S3]
• CPEC routes pass through GB (adjacent to AJK); resource extraction for CPEC infrastructure has intensified local grievances about exploitation without local benefit.
• Pakistan's use of Rangers and security forces against protesters mirrors patterns India faces criticism for — India used it diplomatically to counter Pakistan's narrative on Kashmir.
• China's strategic interest in GB/PoK stability (CPEC security) constrains Pakistan's ability to fully concede to protesters' demands.

Legal / Constitutional

• AJK has no representation in Pakistan's National Assembly or Senate — a structural democratic deficit that protesters cite as root cause.
• The 12 "refugee seats" in AJK assembly (reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan-proper) are seen as Islamabad's instrument to control AJK politics — their abolition is a key JKJAAC demand. [S2]
• India's position: any Pakistani constitutional arrangement for AJK/GB is illegal under international law as it relates to disputed territory.

Historical

• Protests echo the 1970s AJK movement for merger with Pakistan vs. independence — the "Azad" (free) label was always contested.
• Pakistan's suppression of PoK civil society mirrors its treatment of Baloch nationalist movements — security forces, enforced disappearances, restricted press.

Governance / Administrative

• AJK's "Azad" status is nominal: Pakistan's President appoints the AJK Council Chairman (Pakistan PM); Kashmir Council controls key administrative subjects.
• Chronic underfunding of AJK budget from Islamabad despite AJK generating hydropower revenues — the fiscal transfer mechanism is opaque and contested.
• Pakistani bureaucracy placed on deputation in AJK (not locals) — seen as internal colonialism.

6. Recent Developments (Last 12–18 Months)

• May 8–14, 2024: Mass protests across AJK; Pakistan deploys security forces including Rangers; multiple casualties reported. [S1]
• May 14, 2024: Pakistan PM approves Rs 23 billion emergency grant to AJK; government accepts protester demands on wheat and electricity subsidies.
• September 29, 2025: JKJAAC launches fresh round of protests with 38-point charter; shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes across AJK.
• October 2025: Pakistani Rangers open fire in Muzaffarabad; 2 killed, 22 injured; international media coverage intensifies. [S2]
• October 2025: Agreement reached between Pakistan government and JKJAAC — implementation pending.
• India MEA (2024): Spokesperson stated PoK protests are consequence of Pakistan's "looting of resources" from the region. [S3]

7. Prelims Hooks

• AJK capital: Muzaffarabad (not Islamabad, not Srinagar).
• JKJAAC = Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee — the lead civil society body behind 2024–25 protests.
• Pakistan PM is the ex-officio Chairman of the AJK Council — the supreme administrative body over AJK.
• AJK has no seats in Pakistan's National Assembly or Senate — a key governance grievance.
• Mangla Dam and Neelum–Jhelum hydropower project are in AJK — revenue does not accrue proportionately to locals.
• India's constitutional claim over PoK is grounded in Article 1 + First Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• UNSC Resolution 47 (1948) called for a plebiscite in J&K — never implemented.
• The 12 "refugee seats" in AJK assembly (for Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan) are a structural demand for abolition by JKJAAC.
• Pakistan PM approved Rs 23 billion grant to AJK in May 2024 following protests.
• India's MEA described protests as outcome of Pakistan "looting resources" of the people of PoK. [S3]
• 2025 JKJAAC charter: 38 demands including structural reforms and end to elite privileges.
• PoK protests are distinct from Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) — GB was the Northern Areas, administratively separate from AJK.
• AJK Interim Constitution: 1974 Act — the operative constitutional framework.

8. Mains Relevance

GS Papers: GS-II (International Relations / India's Neighbourhood / Governance)

Syllabus Headings: - India and its neighbourhood — relations with Pakistan - Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests - Important International institutions, disputes, and India's role

Plausible Mains Questions: 1. "The recurring protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir expose the contradiction between Pakistan's advocacy for Kashmiri self-determination and its own governance record there." Critically examine. (GS-II, 15 marks) 2. Analyze the structural economic grievances driving protests in AJK and assess India's diplomatic response. How does this affect the Kashmir narrative at international forums? (GS-II, 15 marks) 3. "PoK protests provide India a strategic opportunity to reframe the Kashmir question." Do you agree? Substantiate with recent evidence. (GS-II, 10 marks)

9. Related Topics to Study Next

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• PoK ≠ Gilgit-Baltistan: AJK (PoK proper) and GB are two distinct administrative units under Pakistan's control. GB was the old Northern Areas, made a "provisional province" in 2020 — not the same as AJK. Examiners test this.
• "Azad Kashmir" implies freedom: The "Azad" label is Pakistan's narrative; India's official position is "Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK)" — use India's terminology in Mains answers.
• JKJAAC is not a separatist group: It is a civil society / trade union umbrella demanding economic rights within the existing framework — not demanding independence or merger with India.
• Pakistan PM chairs AJK Council (not AJK's own PM): The AJK has a nominal PM and President, but the AJK Council — chaired by Pakistan's PM — holds supreme authority. Don't confuse the two PMs.
• Plebiscite demand is NOT active in these protests: The 2024–25 protests are about wheat prices, electricity tariffs, and governance reform — not self-determination or plebiscite. Conflating the two is a common error.

11. Sources

• [S1] Unrest erupts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as Pak security forces deployed ahead of protests — https://www.newsonair.gov.in/unrest-erupts-in-pakistan-occupied-kashmir-as-pak-security-forces-deployed-ahead-of-protests — (Tier 1: newsonair.gov.in / Prasar Bharati, Government of India)
• [S2] At least two killed, 22 injured in PoJK protest against government — https://www.newsonair.gov.in/at-least-two-killed-22-injured-in-pojk-protest-against-government — (Tier 1: newsonair.gov.in / Prasar Bharati, Government of India)
• [S3] PoK protests due to looting of resources by others, says MEA — https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/j-k/pok-protests-due-to-looting-of-resources-by-others-says-mea-622180 — (MEA statement cited via Tribune India; primary source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India)