Sri Vijaya Puram/Islamabad, July 29: At least 40 people have reportedly been killed and dozens injured in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over the past two days amid an intensified crackdown by Pakistani security forces, according to rights groups and local leaders.
The United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), citing reports from the region, alleged that around 40 civilians were killed, several others injured and many arbitrarily arrested between July 27 and July 28 in Rawalakot, Mirpur and other parts of the occupied territory.
The organisation further claimed that the violence forms part of a broader pattern of repression, alleging that more than 100 people have been killed since June 5, with several hundred critically injured and hundreds more reportedly subjected to enforced disappearances by Pakistani security forces.
Condemning the alleged use of force, the UKPNP stated that the use of excessive or unlawful force against peaceful civilians would amount to serious violations of international human rights law and could constitute crimes under international law.
The organisation appealed to the United Nations, the European Union and the international community to take immediate steps to protect civilians, support impartial and independent investigations into the reported incidents and press for adherence to international human rights obligations.
Meanwhile, Sardar Amman Khan, leader of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), accused Pakistani forces of carrying out a “massacre” of unarmed protesters during the past two days.
“In just two days, Pakistani forces have brutally killed 38 peaceful Kashmiri protesters. This is not law enforcement, it is a massacre of unarmed civilians demanding their basic rights,” Khan posted on social media platform X.
He alleged that the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continues to deteriorate under heavy repression, claiming that peaceful demonstrations are being met with lethal force by Pakistani authorities.
Khan called for an immediate end to the violence and demanded independent investigations into the reported killings, stating that the international community must not remain silent as civilians continue to lose their lives.
According to the reports, the protests across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have emerged as a challenge to Islamabad’s control over the region. Rights groups allege that Pakistani security forces have responded with widespread crackdowns involving reported killings, injuries and arrests, while parts of the region remain under curfew, communications restrictions and heightened security.
