Protests in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir: Activists Released and Criticism of Troop Deployment
Muzaffarabad [PoJK], June 26: Members of the Awami Action Committee who were arrested during a four-day protest in Muzaffarabad have been released by the authorities of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The released individuals included political party members and the general public, such as Sardar Talha, advocate Sardar Aman, and Sardar Shabbir, who were detained on what they described as bogus charges.
One of the released individuals stated, “They have been inflicting atrocities on us for over 70 years; they have been robbing us for several decades and have been treating us like second-class citizens in our homeland. But the protest that we had started has now been transformed, and we will continue if needed. They may have accepted the demand for subsidised flour but they have not yet accepted subsidised electricity and we will continue to raise our demands if needed.”
Meanwhile, the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) strongly criticised Pakistan’s decision to deploy the Frontier Constabulary (FC) in PoJK. The Chairman of UKPNP, Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, urged Pakistan to refrain from deploying its troops in PoJK. He delivered his statement during the 56th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“We have received reports from PoJK indicating that the Pakistani administration is redeploying Frontier Corps (FC) units there. It’s crucial to recognise that PoJK is a disputed region, and therefore, Pakistan should not deploy its forces there,” Kashmiri stated in a video message. He continued, “Such actions cause distress among the local population. Pakistan must withdraw its troops from PoJK to prevent further unrest among the people and the administration.”
Kashmiri also criticised Pakistan for what he described as contradictory policies and demanded the release of all detainees from Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit Baltistan and PoJK. “While Pakistan has released activists detained in PoJK, it has also filed numerous cases against members of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) in PoJK and Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB). We demand the immediate release of all detainees from PoGB and PoJK and urge Pakistan to address the grievances of the public,” the chairman said.
Jamil Maqsood, Former Central Secretary of Foreign Affairs for UKPNP, expressed solidarity with AAC members and raised concerns about the FIRs filed against activists from PoJK and PoGB. He further called on Pakistan to honour the demands outlined by the Joint Awami Action Committee. “The AAC’s demands must be met, and any deployment of FC or Punjab Constabulary by the Pakistani administration could escalate tensions rather than maintain peace and security in the region,” Maqsood emphasised in his video statement.
