Former Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) commander Farooq, who was allegedly involved in training militants during the 1990s, has died after being critically injured during the ongoing anti-government protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). Local reports allege he was struck by gunfire when Pakistani security forces opened fire on protesters. Demonstrators continue to accuse Islamabad of using force to crush a movement demanding basic rights and political reforms.

Peshawar: Former JKLF commander Farooq, 85, died in a hospital in Islamabad after suffering critical injuries during protests in Rawalakot. According to local reports, clashes erupted near the Rawalakot bus terminal on 28 July, where protesters allege Pakistani security forces opened fire, leaving Farooq fatally wounded.

Farooq was reportedly a former member of the JKLF and is alleged to have played a key role in anti-India militant activities during the 1990s. Reports claim he first served in the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) before joining the JKLF. Local sources further allege that he headed a militant training camp in Rawalakot, where scores of JKLF-linked militants received training before being sent across the Line of Control. These claims, however, have not been independently verified.

The incident comes as unrest continues to grip PoJK. Protests, ongoing since 5 June, have centred on demands for the abolition of 12 reserved refugee seats, cheaper electricity, affordable wheat, and wider political reforms. Protesters and human rights groups claim that more than 100 people have been killed during the movement, although those figures remain independently unverified.

The unrest has also spread beyond PoJK. In London, members of the PoJK diaspora marched from Hyde Park to the Pakistani High Commission, raising slogans against the Pakistani government and military and accusing Islamabad of suppressing dissent in the region.