'Will arrest us at hospitals': PoK protesters risk death over electricity, flour
Protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over economic grievances like electricity and flour costs have turned violent, resulting in multiple deaths. Demonstrators report that local hospitals are unsafe due to the risk of arrest or violence by security forces.
Why it matters
The escalation highlights severe regional instability and the breakdown of basic public services and human rights protections in the area.
A protest movement in PoK has escalated into deadly clashes between security forces and demonstrators, with dozens of people reportedly killed across the region in recent weeks, the BBC reported.The protests have been led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding cheaper electricity and flour as well as better access to education, healthcare and other basic services. The movement says an agreement reached with the governments of Pakistan and PoK in October to address some of its demands has not been implemented.The BBC reported that Rawalakot, one of the main centres of the protests, was experiencing severe disruption, with roads blocked, shops shut and internet access cut off.Makeshift clinic treats dozens of critically injuredThe BBC visited a makeshift clinic near the main protest site, where a spare bedroom had been converted into a medical supply area and a bed placed outside beneath a tarpaulin was being…
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