Protests Erupt Across Pakistan and AJK Following Tourist Attack and Indian Threats

Demonstrations occurred throughout Pakistan on Thursday, including in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), as hundreds protested against recent Indian threats stemming from a deadly assault on tourists near the contested border.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to pursue and bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of 26 civilians in Pahalgam earlier this week. He accused Pakistan of aiding “cross-border terrorism.”

The attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which targeted civilians instead of security forces, represents a significant escalation and the deadliest incident in twenty-five years.

“If India desires war, they should openly engage,” Ajmal Baloch, a businessman, stated to AFP during a demonstration organized by a religious party, attended by approximately 700 individuals in Lahore, the location of the main border crossing with India.

India has indicated the potential suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, a crucial water-sharing agreement between the two nuclear-armed nations. However, they lack substantial means to impede the river’s flow into Pakistan.

Baloch, along with other protesters, condemned this threat as “unacceptable.”

Muhammad Owais, 25, asserted, “Water constitutes our rightful entitlement, and, with divine assistance, we shall reclaim it, even if conflict becomes necessary. We will remain resolute.”

In Muzaffarabad, nearly 300 demonstrators bearing placards with anti-India slogans marched through the city’s center.

Shoukat Javed Mir, a prominent Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader in the region, declared, “Should India err by launching an attack, Pakistani Kashmiris will stand as the first line of defense; we are prepared to sacrifice our lives for Pakistan.”

Approximately 150 individuals participated in a demonstration in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan.