Pakistani forces opened fire and shelled on protesters demanding rights in PoJK’s Muzaffarabad. One person died and many were injured in this action. More than 600 activists have been arrested.
Muzaffarabad [PoJK]July 5 (ANI): People’s protests intensified on Sunday in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) against Islamabad’s harsh action and arrest of over 600 civil rights activists. During this, Pakistani forces crossed all limits of barbarity. There have been reports of shelling, firing and clashes from many parts of Muzaffarabad.
According to information shared by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), security forces opened fire in Muzaffarabad and damaged motorcycles of several youths during the protests. As protests continued in the city, police and Pakistan Rangers fired tear gas shells at the protesters.
Reports further said that clashes broke out between protesters and security personnel in several areas including Manak Pian, Sangi Mera, Tabarabad, Lower Chhatra and Bela Noor Shah. Separate posts also said that due to increasing tension, heavy shelling and firing took place in Lower Chhatra area of ​​Muzaffarabad.
One protester killed, several injured
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) PoJK unit said tension escalated in the area today as Pakistan Rangers opened fire on protesters, killing one person and injuring several others.
Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the rights group that called for protests on Sunday, also said tensions had increased across the region. One person was killed and several others were injured after Pakistani security forces opened fire and shelled protesters in the area, he said.
Demonstrations in other parts of PoJK also
According to JAAC, thousands of people, including women, children and elderly, gathered at the Sardar Ghulam Hussain Khan Sports Stadium in Abbaspur as part of a larger protest movement demanding basic rights and the release of detained leaders, including JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir.
The committee said Pakistani security forces resorted to firing and shelling to disperse peaceful protesters, leaving many seriously injured. JAAC said large protest convoys continued to reach the protest site in Rawalakot, while demonstrations were also held in several other areas of PoJK.
He said members of the Kashmiri diaspora also protested in Auckland, New Zealand, demanding the release of detained activists.
More than 600 workers arrested, call for election boycott
This planned mobilization is a response to several harsh actions by Pakistani authorities. On June 30, JAAC had sharply criticized Islamabad after it allegedly stopped a political delegation led by opposition leaders from entering PoJK. This was described as further evidence of state repression on democratic rights and political dissent.
Activists say that Pakistani forces are currently using drones to monitor people’s protests, due to which local leaders have called for a complete boycott of the local elections to be held on July 27. The committee has called for peaceful demonstrations across PoJK, urging participants to come with white flags and demand fundamental rights while maintaining peace.
Separately, PoJK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza claimed that more than 600 JAAC workers and activists have been detained following the arrest of Shaukat Nawaz Mir and said protests were being organized in PoJK and abroad against Pakistan’s actions. The activist said, ‘The situation in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir is worsening hour by hour. After the arrest of Joint Awami Action Committee leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir, more than 600 workers and activists of the committee have been arrested so far.
Amnesty International condemned
Meanwhile, global monitoring group Amnesty International has strongly condemned Pakistan’s harsh tactics ahead of the upcoming regional elections. Amnesty accused the authorities of deploying violent measures to suppress peaceful political dissent and violating fundamental human rights. Also illegally declared Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) as a ‘banned organisation’.
Amnesty sharply criticized the ban on the Civil Rights Coalition, calling it an unjustified attack on freedom of association and peaceful political activism. With this, international pressure on Islamabad is increasing. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)