Protest March Stalls After Nine Killed in Clashes

Wed Jul 15 2026

A planned protest march organised by JAAC in Rawalakot stalled on 15 July after nine people were killed in clashes with security forces in the Rawalakot and Sudhnoti districts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir - one during a raid on a house suspected of holding a weapons cache, and seven protesters and one police officer during a separate clash after demonstrators blocked a security convoy. At least 28 people have died and 79 have been injured since the protest movement began on 4 June. Three to four thousand protesters had gathered in Rawalakot, met by roughly 4,000 police and paramilitary personnel deployed across the region. The campaign centres on JAAC’s opposition to 12 legislature seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living outside the region, which JAAC argues lets Pakistan-based parties influence Kashmir’s government and divert development funds away from residents - a grievance sharpened by a recent regional Supreme Court ruling on the seats. Regional elections are scheduled for 27 July. (Source: Al Jazeera, 15 July 2026)