ABNA24 - At least 30 people have been killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past two days as security forces intensified a crackdown on protests over disputed regional elections, according to local activists.
The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a local civil society group, said Pakistani security forces opened fire on tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, killing 25 people on Monday and five more on Tuesday.
JAAC spokesman Sardar Aman Khan said Pakistani security forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators in Mirpur on Tuesday following deadly clashes the previous day. He also alleged that authorities removed bodies from hospitals and streets to conceal the scale of the killings.
Pakistani authorities have denied responsibility for the reported deaths, as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an investigation into the violence.
The unrest has centered on the first phase of regional elections, which local groups claim are skewed in favor of central government through a system of reserved parliamentary seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir living elsewhere in Pakistan.
The protests are being led by the JAAC in Pakistan-administered Kashmir that has campaigned for electoral reforms and greater political and economic rights for residents of the territory. Pakistan-administered Kashmir forms part of the disputed Himalayan region claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused India of backing the protests, alleging that demonstrators had received "funds and instructions" from New Delhi. JAAC rejected the accusation, saying the movement was driven by local demands for political representation and reforms.
The protests began in early June, with demonstrators staging sit-ins, strikes and rallies demanding electoral reforms ahead of the regional parliamentary election, which began on Monday and are being held in three phases through August 10.
JAAC supporters have urged residents to boycott the vote, saying the seats are used by Pakistan's major political parties to influence the composition of the local parliament in favor of candidates who predominantly reside outside the region.
JAAC is calling for parliamentary seats reserved for Kashmiris living elsewhere in Pakistan to be reassigned to residents of the region, a proposal the central government says would require constitutional changes.
The group has previously campaigned for lower food prices and greater political and economic rights for local residents. While protests have turned deadly in recent years, including in 2024 and 2025, the current unrest appears to be the deadliest since JAAC was founded in 2023.
/129
Your Comment