The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an independent investigation into the recent deadly unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, where at least 31 people have died.
The clashes are linked to protests over legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees and have heightened tensions ahead of regional elections, with concerns raised over Pakistan’s response and classification of protest groups.
The United Nations human rights chief has called for an independent investigation into deadly unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Related coverage: Chinese President Xi urges international collaboration on AI technology.
On Friday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, urged Islamabad to launch “prompt, thorough and impartial investigations” into all civilian and security force deaths. At least 31 people have been killed in clashes since last month, in the run-up to regional elections at the end of this month.
The unrest has involved the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an umbrella group of traders and activists.
More context: Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk struggles during 19th day of hunger strike for education minister’s resignation.
While the movement initially formed to protest against rising food prices and utility tariffs, the current flashpoint centres on a legal dispute over legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. The JAAC demands the abolition of those seats, arguing they allow non-residents to alter local political outcomes.
UN officials expressed alarm over Pakistan’s decision to classify the JAAC as a proscribed “terrorist” organisation under domestic anti-terrorism laws.
Also read: Families and Australia call for justice after methanol poisoning kills teenagers in Laos.
The global body warned that utilising anti-terror mechanisms to criminalise peaceful assembly and enforce widespread internet blackouts raises severe freedom of association concerns.
Background: Kim Jong Un Meets Wang Huning to Reinforce North Korea-China Cooperation.
The crisis has amplified the long-running diplomatic feud between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan, which have both claimed the disputed Himalayan territory in full since their independence in 1947.
According to the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the crisis hit a deadly new peak on July 14 during intense clashes in the Poonch division, where security forces attempted to clear roadblocks ahead of a planned JAAC “long march” to Muzaffarabad. The escalation resulted in nine deaths – seven civil activists and two law enforcement officers.
Defending the state actions during the violence, Poonch Divisional Commissioner Waheed Khan told Reuters that protesters had blocked a security convoy and attacked officials. “Police and security officials responded in self-defence.”
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in an official statement released on Wednesday that the unrest was a “direct consequence of Pakistan’s decades-long systemic exploitation” of the region.
Turk has appealed for immediate calm, pushing for “meaningful and inclusive political dialogue” over security-led measures to defuse deep-seated grievances regarding regional autonomy and inflation.
Related coverage:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.