A surge of youth-led protests is sweeping across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), signaling a sharp rise in public unrest. With screams of “Freedom” and “Murderers, answer us” filling the streets, what began as a student demonstration over university fee increases quickly grew into a broader movement against military rule and government failings.
What Sparked the Initial Protests?
The agitation ignited on November 4 at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad. The immediate trigger was a steep, sudden increase in semester fees that students found unbearable. Matters worsened dramatically when an unidentified shooter targeted protesters, leaving a student injured. The incident, reportedly unfolding before police, shifted the peaceful rallies into chaos and intensified public anger.
The call for action spread rapidly beyond the university campus. Students from cities including Mirpur, Kotli, and Rawalakot joined the demonstrations. The protests gained a new dimension as intermediate students even staged sit-ins in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The movement unified around a set of seven clear demands, shifting from a specific grievance to a comprehensive call for systemic reform.
After food and electricity, now even education has become unaffordable in #POK.
Peaceful protests by students of POK University against the unjust fee hikes and other forms of discrimination have been met with state violence today.
A stark symbol of state oppression!@srdmk01 pic.twitter.com/lPDbeEMYrs
— Yusra Iqbal (@YusraIqbal_) November 4, 2025
What Are the Gen Z’s Seven Key Demands?
The protesters have presented a concrete list of grievances that go far beyond campus issues. Their key demands include the immediate end to a flawed e-marking system that delivered unfair results, a waiver of re-checking fees, and relief in overall education costs. Furthermore, they are demanding tangible improvements in public life: the repair of dilapidated educational infrastructure, resolution of critical shortages in hospitals, better public transport, and an end to corruption and military excesses.
Is This Part of a Larger Pattern of Discontent?
This student-led uprising is not an isolated incident. It follows a recent five-day protest led by a public action committee that left a dozen people dead and over 100 injured. The agitation, which revolved around flour subsidies and power tariffs, pushed the government to meet several demands. For decades, people in PoK have occasionally risen in protest against Islamabad, claiming that though they host key power projects like the Mangla Dam, they face inflated electricity bills — a clear sign of neglect.
Also Read: PoK Unrest: Student Protests Turn into Anti-Government Uprising Against Islamabad
