Islamabad, Oct 2 Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee core committee member, Sardar Umar Nazir Kashmiri, on Thursday issued an urgent appeal to the international media and global human rights organisations, calling for immediate attention to the ongoing crisis in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
Since September 29, a peaceful public movement by the locals of PoK and JKAAC members has been met with state repression, human rights violations, restrictions on civil liberties, and the killing of innocent civilians.
According to Nazir, this has led to the killings of at least nine unarmed civilians, while hundreds have been injured.
Since September 28, the Pakistani government has enforced a complete communication blackout across PoK, suspending mobile networks, internet, and landline connections, effectively cutting off millions of people from the outside world.
"Inter-provincial highways have been blocked to deliberately create shortages of essential goods, food, and fuel, while cases are being registered against JK-JAAC leaders, activists, and journalists," said a statement by JKACC.
“These actions,” Nazir said, “are not only a gross violation of human rights but also a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which guarantee every individual the right to life, liberty, peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression.”
Highlighting the peaceful and constitutional nature of the ongoing struggle, Nazir "reaffirmed that the JK-JAAC’s movement is rooted in the 38-point Charter of Demands submitted months ago, which remains unimplemented despite the government’s commitment in December 2024 to act upon 12 of its key points."
Among the core demands of the JK-JAAC are - "Independent and across-the-board accountability, elimination of unnecessary and excessive perks of the ruling elite, bureaucracy, and judiciary, transfer of full powers and funds to local governments, restoration of student unions, fixed quotas for persons with disabilities, abolition of 12 reserved seats for refugees settled in Pakistan, free and quality healthcare and education for all citizens, provision of interest-free loans to youth, tax reductions... amongst others."
“These demands are not acts of rebellion,” Nazir emphasised, “but reform-oriented proposals aimed at ensuring justice, dignity, and prosperity."
"Attempts by elements of the Pakistani establishment and non-state forces to crush a peaceful movement through violence constitute violations not only of the principle of self-determination but also of fundamental UN principles and the Geneva Conventions," it said.
Nazir strongly criticised sections of the Pakistani media for spreading false and misleading narratives to conceal ground realities from Pakistan’s 250 million citizens and the international community.
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