Islamabad, July 29 (IANS) The Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while questioning the national media’s silence over the abuses in the occupied territory that left over 40 civilians dead and dozens injured.
Emphasising that protection of civilians’ fundamental rights, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful protest is a “state and constitutional responsibility”, the HRC said, “If human rights violations have occurred at any level, transparent, independent, and impartial investigations are essential.”
The rights body called on Pakistani media outlets to ensure responsible and unbiased reporting on the situation in PoK, stressing that “conveying facts to the public is the media’s fundamental duty”.
“Silence breeds questions, while justice demands transparency,” it added.
Referring to videos showing the brutality of Pakistani forces against civilians in PoK, the HRC said that the state of affairs in the occupied territory is extremely alarming from a humanitarian perspective.
The rights body called on the Pakistan authorities to avoid the use of force, protect civilians’ lives and property, ensure immediate medical facilities to the injured, while conducting transparent, impartial, and independent investigations into all incidents.
It further stressed that according to the “Constitution and international human rights principles, peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and assembly” are fundamental rights of civilians, “which must be respected in all circumstances”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has defended Islamabad’s brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in PoK, saying he considers the demonstrators as “enemies like India”.
His remarks come as the unrest in PoK has claimed dozens of lives and several videos have surfaced on social media showing Pakistani security personnel openly firing on civilians in Mirpur and Rawalakot.
“I put them (protesters) in the same category as India and consider them also as enemies like India,” Asif said in a video that has surfaced on social media platform X.
Reports have claimed that over 40 people were killed and hundreds critically injured during the long march organised by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) in PoK.
Several videos were posted on various social media handles on Tuesday, including that of the JAAC; the videos showed the brutality of Pakistani forces as locals ran to save themselves. Videos shared on X showed bodies lying on roads and fallen motorbikes everywhere.
–IANS
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