At least 12 civilians have been killed in the past three days of violent protests across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), as demonstrators clashed with Pakistani security forces over political and economic grievances. The most recent violence unfolded yesterday, with eight civilians killed during confrontations at Neelum Bridge and other locations. Four people died in Drikot, Bagh district, while two each were reported dead in Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.
The protests, led by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), have paralysed PoK over the past 72 hours. Heavily armed patrols conducted flag marches through PoK towns, thousands of troops were rerouted from the neighbouring Punjab province, and an additional 1,000 personnel were dispatched from Islamabad. The protests come on the heels of a tragic incident last week, when 30 civilians were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following airstrikes by Pakistan Air Force J-17 fighter jets using Chinese-made LS-6 laser-guided bombs.
Meanwhile, Nasir Aziz Khan, spokesperson of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), has urged the United Nations and the international community to intervene against Pakistan’s growing repression in PoJK. Speaking during the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Khan warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the region. He reminded member states of their binding obligations under the Vienna Declaration, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and other core human rights treaties to protect fundamental freedoms.
Highlighting the ongoing protests in PoJK, Khan said the Joint Awami Action Committee had called for a complete shutdown and wheel-jam strike on 29 September, reflecting the growing frustration of locals against deprivation and exploitation. The unrest is a response to the government’s failure to address the committee’s 38 demands, including the elimination of reserved seats in PoJK; 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan were abolished.
