PoK locals push back against terror groups exploiting children

Jammu, Aug 1: A growing wave of public anger is sweeping through parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as local residents, journalists, and civil society members have increasingly begun speaking out against terror outfits that are sending young boys across to die in the name of Jihad, often without their families’ consent.

Recent reports have appeared on social media reporting that in Kuiyaan village, tensions boiled over when Rizwan Hanif, a senior so-called commander of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba-linked group, Jammu and Kashmir United Movement (JKUM), faced public outrage and was forced to flee along with his armed guards.

The backlash follows the death of Habib Tahir, a foreign terrorist reportedly recruited and trained by LeT, who was killed in Harwan, Dachigam, Srinagar, by security forces early this week.

His family, which is reported to be deeply disturbed by his recruitment and death, refused to allow any terrorist group to attend the funeral in absentia. Yet Rizwan Hanif showed up, leading to a confrontation when one of his armed associates, allegedly his nephew, threatened mourners at gunpoint.

Social media from the region has been reporting with videos and firsthand accounts by local reporters and residents condemning terror recruiters for exploiting vulnerable youth.

Many accounts describe a disturbing pattern: young boys are being manipulated or coerced into crossing into conflict zones, with full knowledge that they will not return alive. Several posts call this “a death sentence passed on poor children,” describing it as not just a security issue but a moral and social crisis.

Reports pouring in suggest that residents of Kuiyaan are now planning to hold a jirga, a traditional community assembly, to collectively address terror recruitment and reject the presence of armed groups in their area.

“We are being pushed too far,” said one resident in a now-viral video. “We must protect our children and community.”

In a sign of changing ground realities, local authorities have started pushing back. In Khurahat, Tehsil Hari Ghel, a request to hold a gathering with suspected participation of armed individuals was denied by the administration on security grounds.

A formal ban was imposed, and the SDM Hari Ghel, along with the SHO City Bagh, were directed to enforce the order strictly.

Meanwhile, journalists who dared to report the public outcry have faced threats from extremist sympathisers online.

“Stop brainwashing the poor,” wrote one citizen-journalist, calling out those who recruit children while silencing the voices of reason. There are signs that the ground is shifting in PoK. The once-dominant terror ecosystem is now being met with rare but growing resistance from the very people it once controlled.