Six Killed in Rawalakot as Military Crackdown Escalates in PoK

The fatalities in the Baloch Sadhunati district include Zahid Mughal, Zafar Mughal, Arsalan Akbar, and Wajid Hayat, the latter of whom was killed at the Matial Mira Bus Terminal. This bloodshed follows a demonstration in Washington, where nearly 100 members of the diaspora gathered outside the White House to demand an end to the military presence and the restoration of internet access for the four million people currently isolated from the outside world.

Economic and humanitarian conditions in the region have reached a critical threshold. A 2025 study in Nature reports that 57 percent of households face food insecurity, with rates climbing to 90 percent in mountainous areas. Healthcare outcomes are equally grim; official reports indicate a maternal mortality ratio of 104 deaths per 100,000 live births and widespread childhood stunting.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs has condemned the violence, describing it as the result of decades of systematic exploitation and administrative oppression. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the state’s response—blocking essential supplies and deploying lethal force against unarmed civilians—underscores a refusal to address legitimate local grievances. Protesters have since issued an unusual appeal, urging India to facilitate humanitarian relief and open the Line of Control to allow for the transit of aid.