Islamabad, August 3: In a significant demonstration, a large crowd gathered at D-Chowk in Rawalkot, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), on Sunday, preparing for a peaceful long march towards Muzaffarabad. Protesters chanted slogans like, “Raise your voice, we are one; in the mountains of Kashmir, we stand united.”
According to a statement from the Joint Action Committee (JAC), security forces have intermittently opened fire during the protests. The JAC reported that women and children are sitting in protest at Dreak, and the demonstration will continue until their demands are met.
Images and videos from the protest site were shared on the social media platform X, where the JAC noted, “People are staging a temporary sit-in at D-Chowk in Rawalkot, and a peaceful long march towards Muzaffarabad could begin at any moment. Security forces are firing heavily, but there have been no reports of fatalities in Rawalkot so far.”
The JAC emphasized, “In Dreak, where protests lasted for 50 days, women and children are continuing the sit-in. It will persist until the valid demands of the movement are accepted. The Kashmiri people have united to ensure they do not betray the blood of their martyrs.”
Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri, a member of the JAC, stated that over 50 people have died and hundreds have been injured due to the harsh actions of Pakistani forces in the past four days.
He posted on X, “In the last four days, security forces have brutally killed more than 50 of our people, and hundreds have been injured.”
In another post, the JAC reported that protests continued late into the night in several areas of Muzaffarabad, with people demanding the protection of their basic rights and the fulfillment of promises made by local authorities.
Recent videos shared by various social media accounts, including the JAC, depict the alleged harsh actions of Pakistani forces in POK. Some footage shows women fleeing for their lives during a peaceful rally in Kotli after police action and gunfire.
Meanwhile, a delegation led by Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, chairman of the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), held several meetings at the United Nations headquarters in New York. They informed UN officials about the alleged excesses committed by Pakistani forces in POK.
During these meetings, the delegation expressed serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in POK. They appealed to the UN, the international community, various governments, human rights organizations, and democratic institutions to take immediate and effective steps to prevent further loss of life and to protect the basic rights of the people.
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