Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is in turmoil once again — its second major wave of unrest in just a month — this time driven by students and Gen Z activists.
What began as a routine campus protest over rising university fees and flawed exam results has quickly morphed into a broader, politically charged uprising targeting both the Shehbaz Sharif government and Pakistan’s powerful military establishment.
How the student protests erupted
The latest wave of demonstrations erupted earlier this month at the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (UAJK) in Muzaffarabad.
Students initially mobilised against steep fee increases and major discrepancies in examination results following the rollout of a new digital evaluation system, commonly referred to as “e-marking,” for matriculation and intermediate levels.
When the intermediate first-year exam results were finally released after a six-month delay, thousands of students were left shocked and angry.
Many claimed they were given inexplicably low marks, while others discovered they had been marked as having passed subjects they never even took.
Amid mounting outrage, the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Mirpur announced the formation of a committee to investigate the irregularities.
But the damage was already done. The government’s decision to impose rechecking fees of Rs 1,500 per subject — a heavy burden for most families in the region — only inflamed public anger further.
The university administration, however, rejected the allegations. According to a statement cited by Kashmir Digital, UAJK denied reports of a 60% fee hike, describing them as “false and baseless.”
Officials insisted that only a 10% annual increase had been implemented as per existing regulations, and a proposed Rs 1,000 rise in transport fees, which had not yet been approved, was promptly withdrawn following backlash.
In the same communication, the university announced the suspension of classes at its Chella campus, citing “security concerns for students, faculty, and staff,” and urged police to take legal action against those involved in the violence.
Despite these clarifications, demonstrations intensified.
