Story perspectives

Rawalakot Clash Leaves 11 Dead After Court Ruling

6/9/2026

Summary

Security Forces Clash

Forces killed at least 11 people, injured over 70, in clashes with Joint Awami Action Committee supporters in Rawalakot, Pakistan-administered Kashmir after Supreme Court ruled 12 seats for Kashmiri refugees are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed without constitutional amendment.
Police chief Liaqat Malik said 23 security officials and about 50 protesters were injured, 30 offenders arrested, and proscribed JAAC under anti-terror laws, urging tourists to leave before June 9 rally.

Summary

Authorities Enforce Curfew

Authorities imposed a curfew and Section 144 of the CrPC, limiting entry to two people.
A communications blackout in Rawalakot cut mobile and internet services, preventing independent verification of casualties.
Local reports allege a pregnant woman heading to the Combined Military Hospital was killed by gunfire, though unconfirmed.
Unverified social-media posts claim drones and helicopters fired on protesters and cite death tolls in the hundreds, far above official figures.

Summary

JAAC Funeral

Supporters gathered in Muzaffarabad to hold a funeral for men killed during a shutter-down strike.
Mourners gathered outside the Combined Military Hospital morgue, where police had taken a protester shot, and chanted slogans.
The Joint Awami Action Committee is an alliance of Kashmir civil-rights groups seeking economic and political rights.
The funeral procession showed JAAC-linked unrest spreading from Rawalakot to the regional capital, widening the protests' geographic scope.

History

Historical Context

After the Indian High Court upheld the suspension of elected legislators in January 1990, house-to-house searches in Srinagar led to about 300 arrests, a curfew and Section 144, sparking mass protests that escalated into the 1989-1990 insurgency. The same pattern reappeared in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, where recent court rulings on refugee representation have triggered curfews and rallies, echoing the earlier cycle of contested representation and security crackdowns.

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Security Forces Clash

Forces killed at least 11 people, injured over 70, in clashes with Joint Awami Action Committee supporters in Rawalakot, Pakistan-administered Kashmir after Supreme Court ruled 12 seats for Kashmiri refugees are constitutionally protected and cannot be removed without constitutional amendment.
Police chief Liaqat Malik said 23 security officials and about 50 protesters were injured, 30 offenders arrested, and proscribed JAAC under anti-terror laws, urging tourists to leave before June 9 rally.

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