Escalating Protests in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir Amid Human Rights Violations
Intensified Protests in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir
Srinagar: Protests have surged in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir following a crackdown by Pakistani authorities that resulted in the deaths of several civilians. On Wednesday, the Jammu Kashmir Human Rights Observatory (JKHRO), an independent organization in the region, published a report detailing recent human rights abuses perpetrated by Pakistani forces. The report, accessed by various media outlets, highlights a deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the area.
The JKHRO's findings cover the timeframe from June 5 to July 14, 2026, indicating that the crisis has escalated beyond mere law enforcement issues into a significant humanitarian emergency. The report accuses Pakistani security forces of employing excessive force against demonstrators, conducting arbitrary arrests, enforcing disappearances, withholding bodies from families, executing house raids, damaging property, and imposing communication blackouts, which restricted access to essential services like food and healthcare. However, it also notes that many of these claims still need independent verification.
Furthermore, the JKHRO reported that Rawalakot has been under curfew-like conditions for over 39 days, with protests involving more than 60,000 participants leading to over 50 fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and thousands of arrests, impacting more than 3 million residents. The report also documented incidents of gunfire on July 5 in Dadyal, July 9 in Koteri, July 11 at Jandala Cross, and July 14 at Baloch Bus Stand and Mutyalmera, each resulting in civilian casualties. The JKHRO has called for an independent inquiry, the release of official lists of casualties, unrestricted humanitarian access, and international monitoring of the situation.
'PoK Is Not Azad, It IS Disputed':
During a large gathering in Rawalakot, prominent protest leader Sardar Aman Khan asserted that the region is not "Azad (free)" but rather an occupied territory, receiving enthusiastic support from the crowd. Pakistan refers to the part of Jammu and Kashmir under its control as "Azad," but Khan's speech directly contested Islamabad's long-standing narrative regarding the region.