Islamabad, Aug 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has said the recent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) resulted from longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust and governance deficits and an increasingly confrontational state response, including the disproportionate use of force.
In its fact-finding report 'Civic Spaces under Strain' in PoK, the HRCP said, "While accounts differed sharply on the nature of JAAC, the scale and causes of violence, and the conduct of security forces, there was broad recognition among political and community stakeholders that the underlying grievances required a political response. The resort to coercive measures in place of sustained dialogue appears to have deepened polarisation and eroded public trust."
The HRCP stated that the unrest had implications for various rights and freedoms beyond the elections, including the rights to life, liberty and security of person; freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association; freedom of movement; access to information; and participation in public affairs. It said that the prolonged internet and mobile shutdowns, restrictions on movement, disruption of access to essential commodities and healthcare, arrests of activists and journalists and the use of anti-terrorism and other detention provisions narrowed civic space in PoK.
The HRCP expressed concerns over allegations of the use of lethal and excessive force against protesters in PoK. It said that the authorities provided figures regarding security personnel casualties. However, the mission did not receive information on civilian deaths and injuries. According to the report, the HRCP received multiple accounts alleging that protesters had been killed or seriously injured by security forces but could not independently verify their full scale or circumstances, especially in Rawalakot, as the region was inaccessible.
The HRCP voiced concerns over reports of arbitrary or inadequately documented arrests and detention of political activists, journalists and others linked to the protests in PoK. The placement of at least 147 Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) activists on the Fourth Schedule, with additional names reportedly added to it, and the use of anti-terrorism laws against people involved in political dissent raised serious questions about necessity and proportionality, according to the report.
It said that the restrictions on journalism and access to information further constrained civic space in PoK. Arrests and legal action against journalists, restrictions on access to impacted areas, special security requirements and the prolonged communications shutdown severely restricted independent reporting in PoK, according to the report.
It stated that the elections in PoK were conducted within a constrained civic environment. Heavy security deployments, communications restrictions, the boycott by major political actors, phased polling, postponed constituencies and allegations of irregularities impacted the conditions in which people exercised their political rights in PoK. The HRCP's inability to access Rawalakot further restricted independent assessment of events central to the electoral controversy.
The HRCP called for investigating deaths, injuries and alleged human rights violations in PoK. It called for ensuring due process and reviewing cases arising from the protests. The HRCP demanded reviewing of proscription of JAAC and the subsequent use of anti-terrorism laws against its members.
It called for protecting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and independent journalism and ending disproportionate restrictions on communications and movement in PoK. It demanded protecting access to essential goods, healthcare, education and livelihoods. The HRCP demanded an inclusive political dialogue on the grievances raised by the people of PoK, resolving the question of the 12 refugee seats constitutionally and inclusively and conducting an independent assessment of the 2026 electoral process.
According to the report, the HRCP monitored the political situation and reported human rights violations in PoK, especially after tensions escalated between the JAAC and the authorities since May 30. The fact-finding mission drew on systematic monitoring of developments in PoK, field-based inquiries, interviews, documentary evidence, a stakeholder roundtable in Islamabad, and a subsequent election observation exercise. These methods were used to analyse the human rights situation, the authorities’ response to protests and dissent, and the electoral environment in PoK.
In recent months, PoK witnessed the most extensive confrontation between the local population and the Pakistani state in decades, with deadly violence, suspension of the internet, and allegations of police brutality. The protests, which initially began over increasing prices of electricity and essential commodities, transformed into a movement calling for political reforms, greater accountability, and representative government.
Several videos posted on various social media handles, including that of the JAAC, have shown the massive brutality of Pakistani forces in PoK over the past many months.
Source: IANS
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