Pakistan Army Uses Lathi Charge, Tear Gas On Protesters Seeking 'Azadi' In PoK's Rawalakot

Last Updated:August 14, 2025, 15:31 IST

Top Indian intelligence sources said the protests stemmed from years of systemic neglect, rampant unemployment, and the chronic absence of basic amenities in the region

Demonstrators, including children and the elderly, waved flags and raised slogans demanding ‘Azaadi’ (freedom) from the Pakistan Army and Islamabad’s administration. (Screenshot)

Tensions escalated in Rawalakot, a major town in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as thousands of civilians took to the streets demanding freedom from Pakistan, marking one of the largest anti-Pakistan protests in the region in recent years.

Demonstrators, including children and the elderly, waved flags and raised slogans demanding ‘Azaadi’ (freedom) from the Pakistan Army and Islamabad’s administration, triggering a brutal crackdown by security forces.

Top Indian intelligence sources, speaking to CNN-News18, said the protests stemmed from years of systemic neglect, rampant unemployment, and the chronic absence of basic amenities in the region. The situation turned violent when Pakistan Army personnel launched a lathi-charge and fired tear gas on the peaceful protestors, injuring several civilians, including elderly individuals and women.

Multiple protest leaders were detained in a bid to quell the uprising before it could spread to other parts of PoK. However, the arrest of key organisers only served to intensify public anger, with many locals vowing to continue their struggle despite the risks.

The unrest highlights what sources describe as a deliberate policy by the Pakistan Army: to maintain PoK in a state of economic dependence and political invisibility. While infrastructure projects in the region are prioritised for military logistics, civilian demands for hospitals, schools, and roads are systematically ignored.

Furthermore, local natural resources, especially hydropower and minerals, are being heavily exploited to benefit Punjab province and military establishments, leaving local populations without fair compensation or development opportunities.

“Islamabad has deliberately kept PoK economically backward to maintain control," a source told CNN-News18. “Infrastructure that does exist is built for the Pakistan Army’s benefit—not for the civilians who live here."

Even though PoK is technically a self-governing region, Islamabad exercises tight control through bureaucratic interference and military oversight, rendering local leadership virtually powerless.

Human rights organisations have long accused Pakistan of using heavy-handed tactics in PoK, including arbitrary arrests, custodial torture, enforced disappearances, and targeted killings of dissenters. These methods have kept a lid on dissent for years, but the scale and anger of the current protests suggest that the fear barrier is beginning to break.

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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Location :

Islamabad, Pakistan

First Published:

August 14, 2025, 15:31 IST

News world Pakistan Army Uses Lathi Charge, Tear Gas On Protesters Seeking 'Azadi' In PoK's Rawalakot

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