At least 30 people are alleged to have been killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past two days, as part of what has been claimed to be a state crackdown. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a local civil society group, alleges that Pakistani security services fired on tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, resulting in 25 deaths on Monday and five more on Tuesday.
Protests and violence have been ongoing in Pakistani Kashmir since June. In response, the state has imposed a severe communication shutdown, including an internet blackout, and has carried out mass arrests. Amnesty International on Tuesday called for Pakistani authorities to lift this communications blackout.
JAAC spokesperson SA Khan accused Pakistan’s security agencies of firing on unarmed protesters in Mirpur on Tuesday and then removing evidence. A local resident in Mirpur, who requested anonymity, also stated that bodies were shifted to a hospital and then went missing. Pakistani authorities have rejected accusations of state involvement in the killing of civilian protesters, with information minister Atta Tarar alleging that the protests receive “funds and instructions” from India.