India on Friday denounced the Pakistan government’s use of “ruthless force” against civilian protesters in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and again urged the international community to hold Islamabad accountable for atrocities perpetrated in the region.
New Delhi has criticised Islamabad’s actions in PoJK several times over the past few weeks as the region has witnessed widespread violence that has left more than 40 people dead since June. The protests in the region, which India claims are being spearheaded by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), have been outlawed by Pakistani authorities under an anti-terrorism law.
“As you and all of us have witnessed, the Pakistani establishment continues to unleash ruthless force against peaceful civilians in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This crackdown has resulted in the tragic death of over 40 innocent people and many more have been seriously injured,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing in response to questions on the situation in the region.
Jaiswal contended that the Pakistani establishment’s “absolute disdain for the innocent people of PoJK was laid bare” when Defence Minister Khawaja Asif branded the protesting civilians as “enemies”.
He also highlighted remarks made by veteran Pakistani politician Rana Sanaullah, who said on a TV news programme that the situation in PoJK had been exacerbated by the presence of mujahideen who were trained by Pakistan to target India. Sanaullah currently serves as the special assistant on political affairs to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Jaiswal noted that Sanaullah had “openly admitted that the very mujahideen that the Pakistani establishment trained, funded, armed and sent to India have now turned their guns inward, weaponising themselves against the state”.
Sanaullah told a TV news programme on Geo News channel that the Pakistan-trained mujahideen are now “hanging around our necks”. He alleged they were also involved in efforts to seize Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in an “India-like attack”.
The JAAC initially launched a movement to protest against inflation, high electricity tariffs and the reservation of seats in the legislative assembly for refugees from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which it claimed were used to manipulate the outcome of elections. The protests flared up again during the first phase of elections to the local assembly on July 27, with security forces opening fire on protesters. Reports said some 20 people were killed in the violence.
Jaiswal said the “so-called elections stand as a humiliating rejection of the Pakistani establishment”. He added, “Facing a violent regime, the people there have requested international organisations for an independent investigation into the unlawful killings. We urge that the international community should scrutinise Pakistan’s actions and hold it accountable for its atrocities.”