Following weeks of civil unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has publicly defended the government's response to the protests. The region has experienced significant instability since June 5, with reports indicating that over 90 people have died during the period of unrest.

Recent social media footage has drawn international attention, showing Pakistani security personnel firing directly into crowds of civilians in the city of Mirpur. The videos further depict security forces loading the bodies of the deceased into vehicles. In his defense of the state's actions, Asif drew a comparison between the protesters and the state of India, suggesting that the security response was a necessary measure against perceived enemies of the state.

While the government maintains that its actions were a response to threats against national stability, the footage has sparked widespread criticism regarding the use of lethal force against demonstrators. The exact circumstances leading to the initial firing remain a point of contention, as the government frames the protesters as hostile actors, while local reports and human rights observers characterize the events as a violent crackdown on peaceful dissent.