A wave of unprecedented protests has swept across Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), with students and young citizens largely representing Generation Z, taking to the streets against Islamabad’s administration over soaring education costs, examination delays, and systemic neglect. The unrest, which began at the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, quickly spread across several towns, evolving from campus demonstrations into a broader outcry against misgovernance and economic hardship.
Students accuse authorities of raising university fees steeply and mishandling examination reforms under a new digital evaluation system. The protests have since taken on a wider tone, with participants denouncing corruption, poor employment prospects, and the region’s chronic underdevelopment. Clashes were reported between demonstrators and security personnel, with incidents of stone pelting and firing injuring several students.
Observers view this uprising as a reflection of the rising frustration among PoK’s youth, who feel alienated by Islamabad’s political and economic policies. The Shehbaz Sharif-led government faces growing pressure to address the grievances without resorting to harsh crackdowns, which may further inflame tensions.
The Gen Z-led movement marks a turning point in the region’s political consciousness, as young voices in PoK demand transparency, opportunity, and dignity signalling a generational shift in how governance and accountability are being questioned in Pakistan’s administered territories.
