At least 11 people have been killed as police clashed with supporters of an outlawed group in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, officials confirmed on Monday. The violence erupted just one day before a planned protest scheduled for Tuesday, which was organized to demand greater political rights and challenge legislative representation policies in the region.
The unrest began on Sunday, following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The court declared that the 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a constitutional amendment. This decision sparked outrage from the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), an outlawed group that has long campaigned for the abolition of these seats, arguing that the refugees hold disproportionate influence in regional politics.
Sardar Waheed Khan, the commissioner of the Poonch sector, told the Reuters news agency that the clashes were lethal. He confirmed that four police officers and a passerby were killed after armed individuals opened fire on security forces. In the subsequent response by law enforcement, six protesters lost their lives. Police Chief Liaqat Malik reported that 23 security personnel and 50 protesters were injured during the incident, while 30 offenders have been taken into custody.
Regional authorities stated that the violence escalated in Rawalakot, where armed supporters of the JAAC reportedly fired upon security personnel and disrupted medical services by surrounding a military hospital. Security forces eventually dispersed the crowds and restored order, though police accused the protesters of setting fires and causing significant damage to both government and private property.
JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir addressed the events in a video message, describing the government`s response as a massacre. Despite the designation of the JAAC as a proscribed group under anti-terror laws last Friday, Mir pledged that the organization remains united and intends to proceed with the planned rally on June 9. The regional government has previously issued travel advisories, urging both domestic and foreign tourists to leave the region ahead of the scheduled demonstration.
Local authorities maintain that the security crackdown was a necessary measure to uphold law and order. Police commissioner Khan stated that the leadership of the JAAC is misleading the public by characterizing the state`s intervention as an unprovoked attack. As tensions remain high in this Himalayan flashpoint, the international community continues to monitor the impact of the ongoing political and civil unrest in the region.
