There is an escalating crisis in AJK(PoK), where intense state repression by Army Chief Asif Munir's hybrid regime has turned the local population against Islamabad. Faced with growing popular resentment, the military has resorted to brute force, leading to numerous civilian deaths, forced disappearances, and human rights violations. Amidst this domestic turmoil, Pakistan faces a severe economic crisis, surviving on strict IMF bailouts while disproportionately increasing its defence budget. The violence has triggered widespread protests, international condemnation from rights groups, and a historic reversal where the Kashmiri diaspora is now protesting against Pakistan, completely dismantling Islamabad’s long-standing global narrative on Kashmir.
Asif Munir is in a state of desperation. The situation in the so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK as part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir), is already very tense. Pak forces are killing innocent Kashmiris there; more than 40 people have been killed and many more injured. Recently, on 10–11 June 2026, the military controlled hybrid regime in Islamabad also carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan, reportedly killing at least 13 people, including 11 children, and injuring 14 others, all of them women and children. The more innocent people Pak forces kill, the more insecure Pakistan will become; the more desperate the predatorial military will become, and the more challenges it will create for Pakistan. The army chief of Pakistan today— the dictator who runs Pakistan behind the civilian mask— is growing more and more desperate by the day, as he tries to tackle show of popular resentment through brute force. This is how dictators function— they are always insecure.
Deepening Political and Economic Crisis Under Munir’s Watch
Instead of being satisfied with the enormous powers he already possesses, he secured an unassailable position in Pakistani power hierarchy through the 27th Constitutional Amendment, under which he granted himself lifetime immunity from prosecution. Thus, he further expanded his authority, and secured the rank and privileges of a Field Marshal for life. The amendment also elevated him to a position overseeing all three armed services, giving him unprecedented influence within Pakistan’s power structure. Now, he is reportedly preparing a 28th Amendment to acquire even more powers and become the de facto President of Pakistan by replacing Asif Ali Zardari. Although he wields more power than the Pakistani President, he reportedly seeks to legitimise his position through this constitutional amendment and formally assume the presidency. This is because he continues to feel insecure and wants all power to himself.
At another level, he is seeking limelight for himself at the international level to further boost his image at home by gaining international legitimacy through mediation in the Iran crisis. In reality, the Pakistan Army under his leadership has become a killing machine. Earlier, during the holiest month of Ramadan, the Pakistan army attacked the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul and killed more than 400 patients. These patients were recovering drug addicts undergoing treatment at the rehabilitation centre, trying to rebuild their lives and seeking a second chance in life. Before they could recover and regain hope, their lives were cut short by the airstrikes. Now they are again carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan!
This regime’s focus should have been on addressing Pakistan’s internal and real problems rather than creating new ones. In Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the situation is already deteriorating, and the economic condition across the country is extremely precarious, leaving people feeling helpless due to inflation and numerous other hardships. Right now, Pakistan’s economy is on ventilator and surviving on IMF bailouts. The country is under an IMF Extended Fund Facility programme, with repeated disbursements tied to strict economic reforms.
In the budget for FY2025–26 presented this month by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, as part of IMF-linked fiscal conditions, a very large share of expenditures—close to half or more—is projected to go toward debt servicing, highlighting the severe strain on the country’s public finances, with little fiscal space left for development spending, capital formation, or creation of new investment opportunities needed to drive long-term economic growth. On education, health, and other basic public services, the allocation in this budget is extremely limited and appears negligible in comparison to debt obligations and administrative spending, while the military continues to receive a larger share of the budget, with defence expenditure reported at around PKR 3 trillion (Approx. $10.5 bn at 285 PKR per dollar), reflecting an increase of about 17–18 percent. For a country like Pakistan, where large sections of the population are suffering from extreme poverty, deprivation, and hunger, such a significant increase in military expenditure raises serious concerns about priorities, making it the second-largest component after debt servicing. Yet instead of addressing these challenges, the existing military regime continues to create new ones.
So severe is the crisis that the IMF is now effectively dictating Pakistan’s economic policies and budgetary decisions, leaving the country with little room to make independent economic choices. Rather than focusing on how to overcome this dependence, put the country on a path to economic recovery, and relieve the suffering of ordinary people, Asif Munir led hybrid regime is only aggravating these challenges.
Escalating Unrest and Human Rights Concerns in AJK (PoK)
In AJK (PoK), things have now turned very serious. Innocent people are being killed, people are being arrested and forcibly disappeared, and threats are being issued against ordinary citizens. At the Rawalakot Eidgah and adjoining areas, at least 16 people were reportedly brutally killed in a single incident, and 37 others were injured. The bodies of several of those who were killed have reportedly not been returned, preventing their families from holding funerals. The Munir-led regime is scared that if the bodies are handed over, there would be huge crowds at funeral prayers, potentially leading to large-scale mobilisation. By refusing to return the bodies of innocent Kashmiris, this regime is committing serious crimes against humanity and violating the basic principles of international humanitarian law. In addition, internet services have been shut down. There are also reports of Pakistani Army breaking open shop shutters and looting goods and belongings of businessmen and shopkeepers in the region.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which is a grassroots protest alliance in AJK(PoK) composed of traders, transporters, lawyers, and civil society groups and which has been instrumental in demanding basic rights, redressal of grievances, and political and civil rights, has been declared a proscribed organisation under anti-terror legislation by the AJK (PoK) authorities, and a bounty of Rs 10 million has reportedly been announced for providing any information leading to the arrest of its core members, including Shaukat Nawaz Mir, Umar Nazir Kashmiri, Khawaja Mehran Arshad, and Sardar Aman Khan. This shows the desperation of Asif Munir and highlights how Pakistan has been denying people there their civil, human, and political rights.
Across AJK (PoK), large numbers of people are protesting to demand their basic rights, which have been denied to them since the creation of Pakistan. Instead of addressing these issues, Pakistan army is killing those who protest. This is what Pakistan army is all about. The people are simply asking for their rights, yet they are being killed for it. People of all age-groups have been participating in these protests. In an unpredictable development, women have also come out in large numbers, including at the Eidgah in Rawalakot, where they joined thousands of other protesters demanding their basic rights. Women, children, and elderly people have all taken part in the demonstrations, showing how widespread the anger and frustration have become. This reflects the extent of state oppression and the denial of basic rights and liberties by the Pakistani state. Otherwise, women generally do not come out in such large numbers unless the situation becomes extremely serious.
Diaspora Reversal and International Condemnation
The AJK (PoK) diaspora in different countries, including at the United Nations and other international forums, has now begun protesting against Pakistan outside its embassies and consulates, particularly in the United Kingdom, including in London and Bradford. Members of the Kashmiri diaspora have staged demonstrations outside Pakistani diplomatic missions, condemning the crackdown in AJK (PoK) and raising concerns over human rights violations, with some British lawmakers also highlighting the issue and calling for attention from the international community.
See how reality has changed. The very diaspora that Pakistan had invested in and cultivated over the years to protest against India is now turning against Pakistan itself. Moreover, several rights organisations have strongly criticised Pakistan, including Amnesty International and other human rights groups. Amnesty International issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it described as a “violent and sweeping crackdown” on protesters and said that branding the Joint Awami Action Committee as a terrorist organisation was “disproportionate, unlawful, and a violation of the right to freedom of association.” It also expressed serious concerns about the conduct of the Pakistani authorities and their disregard for human rights.
India has also strongly condemned the killings of Kashmiris by the Pakistani regime. New Delhi described the deaths as a "massacre" and said that the incident exposed Islamabad's continued denial of fundamental rights to people living in territories under its control. It also expressed hope that the international community would hold Pakistan accountable for the violence and urged it to respect the basic rights of the people of AJK (PoK).
Moreover, these killings could become a turning point. In Rawalakot and other parts of AJK (PoK), many people have been killed. People are now beginning to understand the actual situation and who the real oppressors are—the very people denying them their basic rights. As a result of these killings, the grievances and underlying issues are likely to multiply. More and more people will begin blaming Pakistan for denying them their fundamental rights. Ultimately, this exposes the propaganda and false narratives that Pakistan has spread over the years against India on Kashmir at the global stage.
In conclusion, there has been a total unravelling of Pakistan's geopolitical and domestic narratives due to the military regime's counterproductive obsession with absolute power. By prioritising bloated defence spending over an economy on life support, and by utilising lethal force against its own citizens in AJK, the Pakistani state is actively manufacturing its own insecurity. The very diaspora and populace Pakistan historically weaponised to challenge India have now become its fiercest critics, exposing decades of state propaganda and leaving the regime internationally isolated and domestically compromised.
Idrees Aftab is a freelance commentator on regional issues in South Asia.
The views are his own.
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