Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is once again in turmoil - its second major uprising in a month - this time led by enraged students and Gen Z activists. What started as a campus revolt over exam discrepancies and fee hikes has now exploded into a full-fledged rebellion against the Shehbaz Sharif government and Pakistan's powerful military elite.

What sparked the Gen Z uprising?

The latest wave of protests erupted at the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (UAJK) in Muzaffarabad earlier this month. Students initially took to the streets over steep fee hikes and chaotic exam results, allegedly caused by a newly introduced“e-marking” digital assessment system at the matriculation and intermediate levels.

According to IANS, the results were delayed by six months, leaving thousands of students furious - many claimed they were awarded inexplicably low scores, while some even said they were marked as passed in subjects they never appeared for.

While the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Mirpur later formed a review committee, the anger had already reached boiling point - further inflamed by the government's decision to impose rechecking fees of Rs 1,500 per subject, an unbearable cost for most local families.

However, the university administration denied claims of a 60% fee hike, calling them“false and baseless.” It clarified that only a 10% annual increase had been implemented, while a proposed Rs 1,000 transport fee adjustment - not yet approved - was immediately withdrawn.

In its official statement, UAJK said teaching activities were suspended at its Chella campus“to ensure the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff,” urging law enforcement to act against“those responsible for the violence.”

But the administration's clarifications did little to douse the fury. Students continued their demonstrations, decrying poor infrastructure, lack of transport, and administrative apathy. What began as a student movement soon evolved into a wider outcry against corruption, unemployment, and chronic mismanagement - issues long festering in the occupied territory.

How protests in Muzaffarabad escalated

Initially peaceful, the demonstrations spiraled out of control after gunfire erupted at the protest site, leaving one student injured. Eyewitnesses alleged that a man named Raja Mamoon Fahad opened fire on students before fleeing, as police officers allegedly stood by idly - even though the Sadar police station was only a few yards away.

Videos of the firing flooded social media, showing chaos and panic. In retaliation, students set tyres ablaze, blocked roads, and shouted anti-government and anti-army slogans, demanding justice.

#BREAKING: Chaos in PoK, Bullets fired during student protests, arson and vandalism reported in several places. Issue behind the university students' protests: Lack of transportation, dire state of hospitals, and continuously rising university fees, against which students... twitter/vMCpfoIdEE

- OSINT Spectator (@osint1117) November 4, 2025

Chaos in PoK:- Shots fired during student protests - arson and vandalism reported in several areas.⚡ The core issues behind the university students' demonstrations:Lack of transportation, deteriorating hospitals, and continuously rising university fees -prompting students... twitter/9JVyKdSZFA

- THE UNKNOWN MAN (@Theunk13) November 4, 2025

Does #Pakistani media show the real picture of #PoK? No reality, #POK is burning protesting against unclear schedules & sudden closure of classes were brutally beaten is deliberately keeping Kashmiris uneducated. #KashmirRejectsPakistan.@MattooShashank twitter/FyhDclTmRK

- Moid Peerzada (@PeerzadaMoid) November 6, 2025

A 'Nepal Moment'?

The movement has begun to mirror youth-led uprisings in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, where frustration over corruption and authoritarian governance toppled regimes. The incident has reignited public fury over lawlessness and lack of accountability in PoK's governance.

In response, the UAJK administration swiftly banned student unions and political activities on campus, citing“law and order concerns.” Critics, however, call it an outright attack on student rights and free speech.

Awami Action Committee joins the movement

The Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) - which spearheaded major protests across PoK last month - has now thrown its full support behind the student uprising.

Only weeks earlier, PoK had witnessed violent demonstrations over taxes, electricity tariffs, and stalled development projects. That unrest ended in bloodshed when security forces opened fire, killing at least 12 civilians, forcing the Shehbaz government to yield to several of the committee's demands.

Why Islamabad Fears a Youth Revolution

Islamabad's corridors of power are now on edge. The student-driven nature of the current protests has rattled the Sharif administration and Pakistan's intelligence agencies, who see disturbing parallels with youth uprisings in Nepal and Bangladesh.

In Nepal, a Gen Z-led protest against a social media ban ultimately toppled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, while in Bangladesh, students and young professionals spearheaded the 2024 revolution that ended Sheikh Hasina's decades-long rule. Both movements began with small grievances - and ended with nationwide revolts against corruption and repression.

The signs in PoK are eerily similar - boiling youth anger, corruption fatigue, and deep-seated frustration with state control. Analysts warn that if Islamabad continues with arbitrary arrests and human rights abuses, the movement could spread beyond PoK into Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where anti-government sentiment already simmers.

(This article has been curated with the help of AI)

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