The growing crackdown in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) has drawn international attention at the UN Human Rights Council, as violent protests continue in the region’s capital Muzaffarabad and other districts, leaving multiple people dead and dozens injured.
The demonstrations, led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), began as a shutdown strike but escalated into widespread unrest after rival groups held parallel protests, accusing each other of triggering violence.
The protests are rooted in the government’s failure to address the committee’s 38-point charter of demands, which include the abolition of 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees settled in Pakistan.
At least three people have been killed and more than 22 injured since the protests turned violent, according to local officials. The unrest has since spread across districts including Mirpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad, with demonstrators demanding basic rights, fair access to resources, and greater self-governance.
At the 60th UNHRC session in Geneva, Nasir Aziz Khan, spokesperson of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), urged the UN and the global community to intervene against what he called Pakistan’s deepening repression in PoJK.
He warned of a looming humanitarian crisis, citing international obligations under the Vienna Declaration, UDHR and ICCPR to safeguard fundamental freedoms.
Referring to the September 29 shutdown and wheel-jam strike called by the JKJAAC, Khan described it as a sign of growing anger among locals against deprivation and exploitation.
He accused Pakistan of imposing a phone and internet blackout and deploying Rangers to suppress what he described as a peaceful movement.
“Over three million Kashmiris in PoJK remain under siege, while two million abroad have lost contact with their families,” Khan said, calling the blackout a deliberate attempt to silence dissent during a critical phase of resistance.
The Pakistani government has responded with a show of force, deploying additional police and Rangers personnel in Muzaffarabad and other towns. The protests have led to heavy casualties among security forces as well.
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At least three policemen were killed and more than 100 injured during clashes with demonstrators. It was not immediately clear whether civilians were among the injured.
Shops, hotels and commercial centres in Muzaffarabad remained shuttered, public transport stayed off the roads, and most classrooms were empty despite schools officially staying open.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told reporters on Wednesday that the government had accepted “90 per cent of the committee’s demands” and that federal ministers would act as guarantors for their implementation.
However, JKJAAC leaders have vowed to continue their protests until all demands are met, warning of further escalation if ignored.
Earlier this week, Dawn reported that at least one person had been killed and more than a dozen others injured, including a policeman, in violent clashes during the September 29 strike, which coincided with a communications blackout.
The continuing unrest has intensified calls from rights activists for greater international scrutiny of Pakistan’s handling of the crisis in PoJK.
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