Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir erupts in violent protests, 12 civilians killed in army crackdown
Muzaffarabad: At least 12 civilians were killed and over 200 injured as Pakistani security forces opened fire on protesters in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), marking one of the region’s most intense uprisings in recent years.
The unrest, now in its third day, has spread across Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Neelum Valley, Kotli, and Dadyal, where demonstrators clashed with the army. Reports said five protesters were killed in Muzaffarabad, five in Dheerkot, and two in Dadyal. Three policemen also lost their lives.
The agitation, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (AAC), began on September 29 over the government’s failure to meet 38 demands. Key demands include scrapping 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan, tax relief, flour and electricity subsidies, and completion of pending development projects.
Markets and businesses remain shut, while internet, mobile, and landline services have been suspended. Visuals circulating on social media show thousands of protesters toppling barricades and raising slogans such as “Kashmir is ours, we will decide its fate”, in a rare direct challenge to Pakistan’s military establishment.
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, currently in London, announced the formation of a negotiation panel and appealed for peace, urging security forces to show restraint.
Meanwhile, United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) spokesperson Nasir Aziz Khan appealed to the United Nations for urgent intervention, warning of a potential humanitarian crisis.
This escalation comes days after 30 civilians were killed in airstrikes by the Pakistan Air Force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, further heightening tensions in the region.
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At least 16 killed in explosion due to suspected gas leakage in Pak’s Karachi
Karachi (PTI): At least 16 people, including many children, were killed and 14 others injured when a suspected gas leakage led to an explosion in a residential building in Pakistan's Karachi on Thursday morning.
“The explosion took place around 4:30 am on the first floor of the building located in the Old Soldier Bazar area when everyone was awake for Sehri time,” police official Jamshed Asher said.
The first day of Ramzan is being observed in Pakistan today.
The police official said that the reason for the explosion apparently was a gas leakage.
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Due to gas shortage in Pakistan’s biggest city, many families especially in lower income residential areas use liquid petroleum gas cylinders at their homes.
Police surgeon Dr Samaiya Syed confirmed that they have received 14 bodies so far from the blast site while 14 injured are under treatment.
The explosion caused a part of the building structure to collapse due to its dilapidated condition.
“We are still searching through the rubble and debris to see if there are any more bodies or survivors,” Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said.
The deceased include at least nine children aged between two and 17 while the injured also include seven children.
This is the second major tragedy to occur in Karachi. Last month, a fire broke out in the basement of the Gul Shopping Plaza, a wholesale and retail market, in the Saddar area killing at least 79 people and leaving scores injured.
