Geneva, July 17 (IANS) The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday raised serious concern about infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) amid escalating unrest in the occupied territory that has left dozens of people dead and injured. In a statement issued, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence, said that “the criminalisation of a civ…
Latest PoK News & Updates
New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) With the peaceful protests in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) refusing to die owing to an adamant establishment, plans are afloat to manufacture chaos. A narrative shift is what the Pakistan establishment is desperate for, and hence it has been decided to make the protests chaotic.Since the start of the protests, there have been reports of aggression only by the establishment.The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) which has been leading the protests has ensured that th…
Srinagar, July 15 (IANS) Senior religious leader and chief cleric of Kashmir, Mirwaiz Maulana Umar Farooq, on Wednesday expressed deep anguish over the loss of human lives across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.In his post on X, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed deep sorrow and pain over reports of the loss of civilian lives and police personnel in the continuing unrest on the other side of the Line of Control, especially in Rawalakot and Poonch (Pakistan-occupied).He said in …
Islamabad, July 15 (IANS) As escalating unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) entered its 36th consecutive day, thousands gathered in Rawalakot, where Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) leader Sardar Amman Khan accused Pakistan of “forcibly occupying” the region and rejected Islamabad’s long-standing narrative on the occupied territory.Calling PoK an “occupied territory” rather than a “disputed territory,” addressing the gathering on Tuesday, Khan said, “This is not a disputed territory. It…
New Delhi, July 12 (IANS) Is it a coincidence that Dr Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and president of the ruling National Conference, has decided to stage a protest in Delhi demanding the restoration of statehood? The timing certainly invites scrutiny. Barely days after a letter surfaced in which Abdullah was among the signatories urging New Delhi and Islamabad to end their “prolonged hostility”, arguing that it was denying millions of young people opportunities, pro…
New York, July 11 (IANS) While Pakistan has long projected itself internationally as the representative of Kashmiri Muslims, the ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) appears to challenge that narrative, a report has stated.Protesters chanting “Pak Forces Out” have underscored growing discontent, making the demonstrations politically significant not only because of their scale but also because Muslim Kashmiris are directing their anger at Pakistan itself.Pakistani paramilitary forces…
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) Pakistan’s troubles appear far from over. Even as the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has called for intensified protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has also escalated its activities in Balochistan, adding to Islamabad’s growing challenges.Casualties among Pakistan’s security personnel have risen sharply over the past few months. The scale of the losses is evident from the fact that 38 security personnel were killed bet…
Dublin, July 8 (IANS) A leading international human rights organisation called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately release journalist and human rights defender Ahmad Farhad and withdraw all charges against him, alleging that he is being targeted for his legitimate reporting and human rights work in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Ireland-based rights group Front Line Defenders strongly condemned the repression in PoK, saying the crackdown is not an isolated incident but part of a broader…
Islamabad, July 7 (IANS) Amid escalating unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the number of protesters killed or reported missing following unprovoked firing by Pakistani security forces on peaceful demonstrators since June 9 has risen to 56, sources have revealed. The protesters, meanwhile, continue to cite shortages of food and medicines apart from arbitrary detentions, police excesses, and repeated raids on private homes. The Pakistani authorities have adopted a “hard-line approach”, im…
Madrid, July 6 (IANS) Pakistani military’s ‘hard-state doctrine’ may create an illusion of control, but even by its own standards, it is increasingly failing. A doctrine farmed around discipline and security must ultimately be judged by whether it delivers lasting stability, a report has stated. The contradiction Rawalpindi cannot hide is becoming increasingly evident, with intensified operations failing to deliver greater security and tighter military control not translating into political tr…