Internet, June 9: More than 30 people were reportedly killed and around 200 injured in violent clashes in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid escalating tensions between supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and security forces.
The unrest intensified after Pakistani authorities banned the JAAC, a group that has been leading protests on economic and political issues. Reports said clashes between protesters and security personnel in Rawalpindi on Sunday resulted in multiple casualties.
According to officials, tensions escalated on Friday after the JAAC was declared a terrorist organization. The situation worsened following allegations that a businessman died in police firing.
Rawalkot Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan said a large crowd of JAAC supporters gathered outside a hospital mortuary where the businessman’s body was kept. He alleged that some protesters attacked authorities with automatic weapons, petrol bombs, and other objects when officials attempted to disperse the crowd.
Security forces then opened fire, killing six protesters, according to the commissioner. He also confirmed that several people had been detained in connection with the violence.
However, JAAC supporters rejected the official version of events. They claimed the actual death toll was higher than the figures released by authorities.
The violence occurred a day before the JAAC’s planned protest against the allocation of 12 of the 45 seats in the regional assembly elections scheduled for July 27.
For several months, the JAAC has organized demonstrations over internet restrictions, power shortages, inflation, unemployment, alleged exploitation of natural resources, and political marginalization. Following repeated unrest, local authorities banned the organization, citing public welfare and security concerns.
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