Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is once again gripped by violent turmoil, with students, especially Generation Z, taking to the streets to protest the Shehbaz Sharif government's educational policies. 

The student-led movement began as a peaceful protest over rising university tuition fees and a flawed exam system, but it quickly turned deadly when some individuals opened fire on protestors, injuring one student.

This is PoK's second significant upheaval in recent months, following violent protests over economic issues such as tax relief, cheaper electricity, and the completion of development projects.

The latest wave of protests began earlier this month at Muzaffarabad's University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (UAJK), where students protested massive fee increases and discrepancies in exam results following the implementation of a new digital assessment system at the matriculation and intermediate levels.

When the results of the intermediate first-year exams were announced after a six-month delay, numerous students claimed they received unexpectedly low grades, while others said they were listed as passing in subjects they had never taken.

Despite the fact that the administration constituted a panel to assess the procedure, a rechecking fee of Rs 1,500 per topic was imposed, escalating the resentment. The government also prohibited student organisations and political activities at universities.

The situation worsened when a man opened fire on the students earlier this week and fled, according to Kashmir Digital.

According to eyewitnesses, a man named Raja Mamoon Fahad allegedly opened fire on the students in front of the police, but no serious action was taken against him, and he fled the scene.

The footage of the incident went viral on social media, prompting citizens' groups and student organisations to protest against the Sharif government and the Pakistani military.

The Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) has said that it will back the students.