Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 31 (ANI): Members of the PoJK Displaced Community residing in Jammu city on Friday held a protest against atrocities being committed by Pakistan in parts of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), accusing Islamabad of violating the rights of people in the region.
The protesters said that Pakistan had illegally occupied the territory and was now using force against people there. The demonstration comes amid continued protests at D-Chowk in Rawalakot in PoJK, where reports have emerged of shootings and killings during demonstrations.
Speaking to ANI, Rajeev Chunni, Leader of PoJK Displaced Refugees, said the situation in PoJK was "very unfortunate" and that innocent lives were being lost and human rights violated.
He said, "What is happening in PoJK is very unfortunate. The way innocent lives are being lost, human rights are being violated."
Chunni said the developments had also brought back memories of the events surrounding the Partition in 1947. "But we regret one thing, that in 1947, as soon as Pakistan was formed, the first bullet from its gun hit the chests of my Hindu and Sikh brothers," he said.
He said members of the displaced community had warned people at the time against trusting Pakistan. "Then these people did not understand; we tried to explain to them. We said don't trust Pakistan, this country is untrustworthy."
"But then they didn't support us; they supported Pakistan," he added.
Chunni said the current situation in PoJK had, in his view, vindicated those warnings. "Today that same Pakistan is showing its true colours and they are realising that the Hindus and Sikhs who went from here spoke the truth, told them correctly that Pakistan is untrustworthy," he said.
He said people in PoJK were currently facing a difficult situation and called for greater attention to their human rights. "People are in a bad state; they are in a very bad situation, and I understand that you should pay attention to their human rights, he said.
Meanwhile, protests continued at D-Chowk in Rawalakot on Thursday amid reports of shooting and killings during demonstrations. Social media accounts linked to the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) have accused security forces of using lethal force against protesters.
According to the JKJAAC-linked social media accounts, demonstrators have been sitting at D-Chowk for several days while calling for a long march and protesting "brutality" and "target killings" by security forces.
The Awami Action Committee-linked accounts also shared a call for international solidarity, urging Brazilian trade unions, workers' organisations, human rights groups, student movements and activists to protest against "repression" in PoJK.
A poster shared by the accounts announced a "Stop the Repression in Kashmir Protest" outside the Commercial Section of the Pakistan Embassy in São Paulo on Thursday, July 30.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dismissed the recent elections in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), describing the electoral exercise as "fraudulent", and criticised the violence reported in the region, saying it was sending an adverse message to the international community, according to The Express Tribune.
Since Monday, reports of several deaths and injuries have surfaced on social media from Rawalakot, Mirpur and other parts of the region. Numerous videos shared online depicted scenes of unrest, with claims of violence and casualties. According to The Express Tribune, both the security forces and the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claimed that lives had been lost on their respective sides.
On Tuesday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and opposition parties called for an impartial and independent inquiry into the reported deaths and injuries. Speaking at a press conference alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, former Prime Minister Sardar Qayyum Niazi alleged that the people of PoJK were facing unprecedented oppression and brutality, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Niazi further alleged that protesters were being killed in PoJK and that their bodies were being made to disappear. He said that the PoJK delegation was sent "around the world". He said that they spoke at the UN and outside the UK Parliament to highlight "atrocities committed against" people in PoJK. He added, as per the Express Tribune, "Today, we are no longer able to show our faces because of what is happening." (ANI)