June 12, 2026
By Farhan Tariq
MUZAFFARABAD
The Pakistan-administered Kashmir region is in its third day of a complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike, called by the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), leaving residents of Muzaffarabad facing severe hardships. Markets, banks and even medical stores remain closed, while a continuing internet shutdown has further crippled daily life.
JAAC had announced a wheel-jam and shutter-down strike starting June 9. However, an incident on the night between June 5 and 6 sharply escalated tensions. JAAC core member Umar Nazir Kashmiri and his close associate Shazaib Habib were allegedly fired upon by masked men as they were returning from a conference held in Khaigala, eight kilometres from Rawalakot. Umar Nazir was injured in the attack, while Shazaib Habib lost his life.
Following this incident, JAAC announced a partial lockdown across the region, which has now entered its fifth day, while the complete wheel-jam and shutter-down strike has completed three days.
Markets, banks and medical stores all shut in Muzaffarabad
Mahmood Musafir, a political activist present in Muzaffarabad, said he arrived in the city on June 1 and has witnessed markets remain partially closed for five days, with not a single shop opening over the last three days. “It’s been five days since I came here on the first of June — the market has been partially closed, and for the last three days, not a single shop has opened. Everything is shut. We only have one message for the government: come to your senses and sit down to talk with them. The government negotiated with these very people for three years, and then suddenly declared them banned and labelled them terrorists. The government should not commit such an injustice.”
Zafeer Rathore, another resident of Muzaffarabad, recalled that during previous protests, small neighbourhood shops used to remain open, but this time even those have shut down completely. “In past protests, the shops in the streets and neighbourhoods used to stay open, but this time, even those are closed,” he told Voicepk.
The severity of the situation in the city can be gauged from the fact that markets, banks and even medical stores are completely closed, severely affecting both daily necessities and the supply of medicines.
Internet blackout compounds the crisis
Internet services, suspended since 11 pm on June 6, remain down, leaving residents facing serious communication problems.
Siddique Lone, a resident of Muzaffarabad, said the internet shutdown has created a massive communication crisis. “The internet shutdown has created a huge problem with communication. As a citizen, if I need to go somewhere or talk to my loved ones, I simply can’t. On top of that, there’s a complete shutdown, vehicles aren’t running, and we can’t travel anywhere. These are huge problems. My mother is admitted in the hospital, and we’re facing real difficulty getting her treatment and medicines,” he said.
Shujaat Mir, another resident of the city, said that with the internet down, misinformation is spreading widely. He added that with banks also closed, residents cannot even withdraw money from ATMs, severely affecting their financial affairs. “Because there’s no internet, a lot of fake news is circulating. On top of that, the banks are closed too, so people can’t even withdraw money from ATMs.”
‘It feels like there is no government at all’
Local journalist Zulfiqar Ali said the situation in Muzaffarabad makes it seem as though the government simply doesn’t exist here. “It feels like there’s no government here at all. The Prime Minister, cabinet members, and assembly members — none of them are here. The entire political spectrum of the moment is missing,” he said.
Long march participants encamped at Rawalakot
Meanwhile, convoys from various districts of Mirpur and Poonch divisions have been making their way via different routes and have now reached within a few kilometres of Rawalakot city.
According to Ajmal Shaheen, a local journalist in Rawalakot, the alleged firing by Rangers at Chinar Chowk on the morning of June 11 left one civilian dead and several others injured. Commissioner Poonch, Sardar Waheed, confirmed the incident, saying that JAAC core member Umar Nazir had come to address a gathering at the venue, and upon receiving information, security forces had raided the location.
Uncertainty persists
However, no untoward incident had been reported in Muzaffarabad city as of 2 pm, and the law-and-order situation remained stable. Local police, the Frontier Constabulary, and Islamabad police personnel have been deployed at various points across the city. Meanwhile, JAAC has yet to announce its next course of action, leaving Muzaffarabad’s residents in a state of uncertainty about when their hardships will end.