The 1955 Poonch uprising refers to a period of armed conflict and civil unrest in the Poonch and Sudhnoti districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The movement was primarily characterized by a rebellion of the Sudhan tribe and local political activists against the administrative control of the Pakistani central government and the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs (MKA).
The origins of the uprising are attributed to political tensions that developed following the 1947–1948 Kashmir War. Local leaders in Poonch, who had been instrumental in the 1947 rebellion against the Dogra dynasty, sought greater regional autonomy and were dissatisfied with the dismissal of the local government headed by Sardar Ibrahim Khan. The unrest was further fueled by the imposition of non-local civil servants and the perceived authoritarian stance of the MKA.
The conflict escalated into armed confrontations between local militias and the Pakistan Army. In early 1955, the Pakistani government deployed military forces to the region to suppress the insurgency and restore order. The military intervention resulted in casualties and the arrest of several prominent local figures.
The uprising concluded with the re-establishment of central authority, though it left a lasting impact on the political relationship between the residents of Poonch and the Pakistani federal administration. It remains a significant event in the internal political history of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, frequently cited in academic studies concerning the governance and legal status of the territory.