37 deaths, 12 contentious seats, regional polls: What has triggered violent clashes in PoK?

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 31, 2026 01:17 PM IST Pakistan claims that militants of the banned Tehrik-e Taliban were present among the protesters and the crackdown against them shall continue. (AP Photo/Representative)Clashes between security forces and protesters under the banner of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) continued in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) this week. According to the JAAC, at least 37 people — including women and children — have been killed in the violence. According to a statement quoted by PTI, JAAC said: “The number of those injured remains unknown. Amid heavy gunfire, our people have continued to stand peacefully and unarmed. God willing, our peaceful struggle against oppression and injustice will continue.”The rising tensions come at a time when regional el