Pakistani Forces' Crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir Sparks Intensified Protests and Fears of Further Control

In occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), public anger continues to mount after 53 people were killed in a security crackdown by Pakistani forces at the behest of Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir. The movement led by the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) has intensified. Although officials have offered talks, the organisation has dismissed it as a mere formality. The JKJAAC maintains that there is no justification for talks with Pakistan, as assurances made in the past have never materialised. According to Indian intelligence officials, Islamabad's offer of talks is not intended as a solution, but to gain time and dictate its terms. They claim that Asim Munir's real goal is to establish full control over PoJK. According to officials, for this, Pakistan may consider invoking Section 56 of the'Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act, 1974 '. If this happens, the PoJK government will be dismissed and the PoJK assembly will be dissolved from its almost direct role in this situation.