Deadly Crackdown on Kashmir Protests Sparks Calls for Election Annulment
Security forces in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir have opened fire on demonstrators organized by the Joint Awami Action Committee, leaving dozens dead and prompting the group to demand the recent election be voided.
Witnesses in Rawalakot describe security personnel firing large-calibre weapons and tear-gas at crowds assembled by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries. Among the dead is a teenager from Singola village, and families report having to treat the wounded at home after hospitals closed. The JAAC alleges that government forces have killed more than 83 protesters since June, a claim the authorities reject, saying some demonstrators were armed.
A sweeping internet and mobile blackout, coupled with new rules barring foreign journalists, makes one outlet's reporting difficult. In response, the JAAC released a declaration demanding that the recent local elections be declared fraudulent, annulled, and replaced by an interim government. The group also called for an international human-rights investigation into what it describes as grave crimes by security forces. Political parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan People's Party are poised to assume control of the next regional administration.
Why it matters
The violent suppression of protests threatens stability in a disputed region and raises concerns about human-rights violations.
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