Police brutality in Pakistan‑occupied Jammu and Kashmir intensified on 5 July as security forces clashed with demonstrators in Muzaffarabad.

The protests were triggered by Islamabad’s sweeping arrests of more than 600 civil rights activists, including leaders of the Joint Awami Action Committee. Reports confirmed shelling, firing and violent confrontations across several parts of the city.

According to information shared by the JAAC, Pakistani forces resorted to shelling in Muzaffarabad, damaging motorcycles belonging to young protesters. Tear gas shells were fired by police and Pakistan Rangers as demonstrations continued. Clashes were reported from Mank Piyan, Sangi Mera, Tareeqaabad, Lower Chhatra and Beila Noor Shah, with separate accounts confirming intense shelling and firing in Lower Chhatra.

Tensions escalated sharply when one person was killed and several others injured after Pakistan Rangers opened fire on protesters. The PTI’s PoK unit corroborated this account, stating that security forces had used live ammunition against civilians. The JAAC also confirmed that one person was killed and several critically injured as Pakistani forces attempted to disperse peaceful demonstrators with firing and shelling.

Thousands of people, including women, children and the elderly, gathered at Sardar Ghulam Hussain Khan Sports Stadium in Abbaspor as part of a wider protest movement. They demanded basic rights and the release of detained leaders, including JAAC leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir.

The JAAC reported that caravans of protesters continued to reach the sit‑in site in Rawalakot, while demonstrations spread across other parts of PoK. Members of the Kashmiri diaspora staged protests in Auckland, New Zealand, demanding the release of detained activists.

The mobilisation followed a series of heavy‑handed actions by Pakistani authorities. On 30 June, the JAAC had sharply criticised Islamabad after a political delegation led by opposition leaders was stopped from entering PoK, describing the move as further evidence of suppression of democratic rights and dissent. Activists stated that Pakistani forces were using drones to surveil sit‑in protests, prompting local leaders to call for a boycott of the local elections scheduled for 27 July.

The JAAC urged participants to carry white flags and maintain peace during demonstrations, insisting that the campaign remained non‑violent despite the crackdown. PoK activist Amjad Ayub Mirza claimed that more than 600 JAAC workers and activists had been detained following the arrest of Shaukat Nawaz Mir. He warned that the situation was worsening by the hour, with mass arrests continuing across the region.

Global watchdog Amnesty International strongly condemned Pakistan’s heavy‑handed tactics ahead of the upcoming regional elections. Amnesty accused authorities of deploying violent measures to suppress peaceful dissent and violating fundamental human rights. It criticised the unlawful designation of the JAAC as a proscribed organisation, labelling the ban a disproportionate attack on freedom of association and peaceful activism. International pressure continues to mount against Islamabad as the crisis deepens.

ANI