Amjad Ayub Mirza Alleges Violent Crackdown in PoJK

The unrest centers on the Legislative Assembly’s 12 reserved refugee seats, a system Mirza argues the Pakistani military manipulates to tilt election results in its favor. Despite widespread public outcry and demands for these seats to be abolished, authorities have moved forward with plans to hold general elections on July 27 without implementing reforms or addressing the grievances of the local population.

Following the strike on June 9, security forces deployed heavy measures to quell the demonstrations. Mirza maintains that these actions represent a systematic effort to suppress the movement for self-determination. By labeling the region a colony, he highlights the deepening rift between the local populace and the central government, warning that the current political maneuvering only serves to exacerbate the cycle of violence and political disenfranchisement in the territory.