UKPNP Leaders Demand Release of Detained Protesters in PoJK

In Sudhanoti district of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), senior leaders of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) gathered at Tarar Khel to stage a sit-in. They expressed solidarity with the Awami Action Committee and called on Pakistan to release all detained activists and stop using force against peaceful protesters.

Key Figures

The UKPNP leaders included Sardar Tania, Sardar Afraiz Shaheen, Sajjad Inqalabi, and Sardar Rizwan among others.

Background

Several Kashmiri activists in PoJK were arrested following violent protests in May. These protests were driven by dissatisfaction with Pakistani government policies on essential services, such as high electricity tariffs and reduced wheat subsidies. The situation escalated when local leaders were detained by Pakistani police on May 11 to prevent a planned march to Muzaffarabad, the regional capital.

Recent Protests

Recently, activists from the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) organized a large protest in PoJK’s Pallandri tehsil. They condemned the harsh treatment and arrests of Kashmiri activists and demanded their immediate and unconditional release.

Human Rights Concerns

The detentions have sparked local outrage and drawn attention from human rights groups. The reasons behind these detentions range from political dissent to advocating for Kashmiri rights, highlighting broader concerns about freedom of expression and civil liberties in the area. The detention of activists is part of a wider pattern of human rights violations in the region, where activists, journalists, and political opponents often face harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests. Allegations of media censorship and restrictions have also surfaced in PoJK.