Pakistan’s human rights body on Monday said that it is “deeply alarmed” by the ongoing violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), where 11 people, including four police officers, were killed and hundreds injured during violent clashes.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also expressed serious concerns about the so-called regional government’s decision to proscribe the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) under anti-terrorism legislation.
The JAAC was outlawed on Friday by authorities, citing concerns over public order and security.
India maintains that Pakistan has been in illegal possession of Indian territory in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
According to Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan, at least seven civilians and four policemen were killed during Sunday’s clash between police and JAAC protesters in PoK’sRawalakot.Authorities have arrested over 100 people before and after the clashes.
Clashes broke out after tensions flared over the death of a trader, who was allegedly shot during a confrontation with law enforcers on Friday night. Officials accused the demonstrators of attacking the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalakot on Sunday.
In a statement on Monday, the HRCP strongly condemned the use of excessive force and the deaths of civilians and law enforcers alike, as well as communication blackouts.
“While dialogue is essential, it cannot be meaningful amid the continued political disenfranchisement of the region’s people. The right to peaceful protest must be upheld, and grievances addressed transparently,” it said.
The commission urged both the federal and the so-called regional government “to avoid further escalation, respect people’s fundamental rights and commit to genuine, inclusive negotiations.”
The HRCP has also announced sending a fact-finding mission as soon as possible to assess the situation.
It questioned the government’s decision to ban JAAC under anti-terrorism legislation ahead of its planned protest on June 9.
It also condemned the imposition of internet and communication blackouts utilised to suppress information during periods of unrest.
Last year, at least nine people, including three police officers, were killed and hundreds injured during widespread protests against exorbitant electricity tariffs and flour prices in PoK.
The JAAC has long been demanding the abolition of 12 so-called refugee seats in the so-called Legislative Assembly in PoK.
The seats are reserved for so-called refugees from Kashmir who settled in Pakistan after 1947. JAAC alleges that these seats were often used by mainstream Pakistani political parties to influence the formation of governments in Muzaffarabad.
India has lodged a strong protest with Pakistan over the elections, maintaining that PoK has been “illegally and forcibly” occupied by Pakistan.
Reiterating its position, India has said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India by virtue of the “complete, legal and irrevocable accession” of Jammu and Kashmir to India in 1947.
