At least 30 people have been allegedly killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past two days as part of a brutal state crackdown, according to a local civil society group. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claims that Pakistani security services fired on peaceful protesters, killing 25 on Monday and five more on Tuesday.
Background of Protests
The wave of protests and violence in Pakistani Kashmir began in June, with demonstrators calling for electoral reform in the heavily militarized region. The state has imposed a severe communication shutdown, including an internet blackout that cut the region off from the rest of Pakistan, and has carried out mass arrests. Monday marked the first phase of an election disputed by local groups who argue that a system of reserved seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir gives outsiders too much control over the region.
Allegations of Evidence Tampering
SA Khan, a spokesperson for JAAC, accused Pakistan's security agencies of firing on unarmed protesters in Mirpur on Tuesday and then removing evidence. “Security forces have taken away the dead bodies and locked away the hospital in Mirpur,” he said. “We have the photos and video evidence of dead bodies lying on streets in a pool of blood. The security forces abducted the dead bodies to erase the evidence.” A local resident in Mirpur, speaking on condition of anonymity, said violence erupted on Tuesday afternoon when people gathered to protest the previous day's killings. “The bodies were shifted to hospital and then they went missing. Now, all shops nearby have been closed after the violence,” they said.
Independent Verification Hampered
The Guardian could not independently verify the death toll as media were prevented from accessing the area and the internet blackout remained in place, making it difficult to reach local communities. Pakistani media have largely ignored the protests and alleged killings. Amnesty International on Tuesday called for Pakistani authorities to lift the communications blackout. Isabelle Lassée, Amnesty International’s action regional director for south Asia, said: “The disturbing reports emerging from Rawalakot are consistent with the Pakistani authorities’ long history of unlawful violence against protesters in Jammu and Kashmir. A prompt, independent, and transparent investigation must be ordered into the security forces’ use of force against protesters. So long as an internet and mobile services blackout remains in place, it will severely impede the independent verification of the full extent of the situation on the ground. We urge the Pakistani authorities to restore all communications access and allow media and independent observers into the area.”
Government Denial and Counterclaims
Pakistani authorities have rejected accusations of state involvement in the killing of civilian protesters. In a press conference over the weekend, Information Minister Atta Tarar alleged that the protests in Pakistani-administered Kashmir were receiving “funds and instructions” from India. JAAC spokesperson Khan rejected these accusations, stating, “It is nothing new: people asking for political or economic rights are termed India-sponsored or anti-state in Pakistan, same goes in India.”
Ongoing Crisis
The protests, led by JAAC, have been ongoing for a year, demanding political and economic rights for local people, as well as electoral reforms. Pakistan-administered Kashmir has experienced bouts of deadly violence in recent years. The protests that began in June, calling for the abolition of 12 reserved seats for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir, have prompted the deadliest crackdown in years. Locals say the reserved seats are used by the central government to retain control over the region and destabilize regional politics. About 40 people were alleged to have been killed when violence erupted in June, and the government accused protesters of killing police. The local government responded by proscribing JAAC as a terrorist organization, arresting and detaining its political workers en masse, and responding to protests with force. This prompted UN rights chief Volker Türk to call for an investigation into the deadly violence.
