In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, escalating tensions have resulted in violent clashes between security forces and Joint Awami Action Committee supporters.
Tensions continue to escalate in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as clashes between security forces and workers of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) erupted in several parts of the region, leaving at least 30 dead and over 200 injured. The worst bloodshed was seen in Rawalakot, where firing on mourners at a funeral left 11 dead and over 70 injured. Amidst escalating violence, over 30 British MPs have sought diplomatic intervention over the massive human rights abuses in PoK.
In the videos emerging from PoK, a large crowd could be seen attacking a Pakistan Rangers convoy in Bhimbere. The convoy of the Pakistan Army and Rangers was moving to the Mirpur district of the PoK when they came under attack from locals. Visuals also surfaced from Muzaffarabad, in which forces could be seen firing tear gas shells at the mob pelting stones.
The protests erupted after the PoK government banned the JAAC, a grassroots movement that has gained support for raising issues such as rising inflation, electricity tariffs, taxation policies and what its supporters describe as the region’s long-standing political marginalisation.
Here’s why the region is on edge.
Why is PoK protesting?
The clampdown in PoK came amid a planned protest rally by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The JAAC planned a protest march to get the government to implement a 38-point agenda, which demands subsidised flour and electricity. After it was outlawed, protests gripped the region.
PoK activists involved in the movement alleged that security crackdowns over the past two days had resulted in more than 100 deaths and numerous injuries, though official figures claim 30 dead.
The JAAC has also been demanding the abolition of 12 “refugee seats” in the so-called Legislative Assembly in PoK. The seats are reserved for 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 recent elections, maintaining that PoK has been “illegally and forcibly” occupied by Pakistan.
Citing concerns over public order and security, protesters on Tuesday gathered outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford and accused the Pakistani authorities of using excessive force against civilians participating in demonstrations across PoK. Organisers, many of them from the Kashmiri diaspora, claimed that several civilians were killed and injured during the firing by Pakistani security forces, particularly in Rawalakot, where protests have intensified since June 5.
Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/asia/why-is-pok-witnessing-violent-protests-article-154544485