Swapna Kumbar , Bengaluru - Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has drawn outrage after defending the killing of protestors in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying he sees them in the same category as India. His remarks came amid a violent crackdown in Mirpur and Rawalakot, where protesters have been demanding basic rights and relief.

According to local reports and civil society groups, Pakistani security forces opened fire on demonstrators during protests led by the Joint Awami Action Committee, with multiple videos circulating online showing gunfire in civilian areas and bodies being loaded into vehicles. The unrest has reportedly left more than 80 people dead since demonstrations began on June 5, with fresh clashes pushing the toll even higher.

Asif’s comments escalated the political fallout because he did not distance the state from the violence; instead, he framed the protestors as enemies. Reports from the region also say families were blocked from hospitals and bodies were removed in a way critics say was meant to erase evidence of the shootings.

The episode has intensified anger over both the killings and Islamabad’s response to dissent in PoK. With the death toll rising and allegations of brutality mounting, the controversy is now as much about human rights and accountability as it is about the protests themselves.