Pakistan Rangers Crack Down On Women In PoK, Block Them From Joining Protests

Last Updated:June 25, 2026, 12:03 IST

Women trying to join the demonstrations were allegedly blocked by Rangers, while shelling and village patrols were reported in the Kotli area.

Women participating in protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) have allegedly faced a major crackdown, with Pakistan Rangers deployed across villages in Kotli to prevent them from reaching the main demonstration.

The action came after women and children took to the streets in the Kotli area following a call by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been spearheading a wider agitation over jobs, healthcare, education, administrative reforms and what protesters describe as the denial of their fundamental rights.

According to sources, Pakistan Rangers stopped groups of Kashmiri women from travelling towards the main protest site and intensified patrols across villages surrounding Kotli.

The deployment of Rangers inside the villages has been described as an unprecedented move aimed at preventing women from participating in the demonstrations in the main city.

Pakistani forces also allegedly resorted to shelling in Dhamol village to block women from reaching the protest venue. Some minor injuries were reported during the action, though the exact number of those hurt was not immediately known.

What Are The Protesters Demanding?

The protesters are demanding employment opportunities, better healthcare and education facilities, reforms in the local courts and bureaucracy, and the restoration of rights available to them under the prevailing laws.

“Our Charter of Demand states that our fundamental human rights under the current prevailing laws must be restored," a JAAC core member said.

The committee is also demanding that AJK Bank, which operates in the region, be granted scheduled bank status.

“We are demanding that the ‘AJK Bank’ in Kashmir be made a scheduled bank," advocate Saad Ansari said while addressing the gathering.

Scheduled bank status would bring the institution under greater regulatory oversight and allow it to access facilities offered through the central banking system. Protesters argue that the change would strengthen the region’s financial infrastructure and improve access to banking services.

‘People Are Starving’

Protest leaders have accused local officials and elected representatives of failing to address worsening economic conditions in the region.

Ansari said taxpayers must be able to hold officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and divisional Commissioner, accountable.

“The people who pay taxes to run the local DC, SP and Commissioner should also hold them accountable," he said.

He also accused members of the local Assembly of failing to fulfil their responsibilities while families struggled to afford basic necessities.

“The people sitting in the Assembly, who took votes, are failing to fulfil their responsibilities while people here are starving for two square meals a day," Ansari said.

Appeal To UN And Rights Groups

JAAC leaders have appealed to the United Nations, Amnesty International, international media organisations and Kashmiris living overseas to draw global attention to the situation in PoK.

“Let the world come here, let the United Nations come, let Amnesty International come, let the international media come, and let them see and showcase these innocent faces," Ansari said.

He urged overseas Kashmiris to raise the issue before foreign parliaments and assemblies and asked media organisations to broadcast images of the protests so that the demonstrators’ grievances were not ignored.

“Go before all those parliaments and assemblies and tell them what has been done to our people," he said.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18

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