Pakistani security forces have allegedly launched a crackdown on protesters calling for a boycott of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with at least 20 people reported killed and more than 50 injured in the past 24 hours, according to local sources. Violence was reported in Rawalakot's Dreik Eighth neighbourhood, where demonstrators were allegedly targeted by police.
Among those reported killed was Usman Nazir, the brother of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) spokesperson and core committee member Umar Nazir Kashmiri, according to NDTV. Usman Nazir had been participating in the election boycott.
Since protests began in PoK on June 5, around 80 people have reportedly been killed, according to the report.
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Videos reviewed by NDTV appeared to show bodies lying on roads as security personnel fired towards crowds. NDTV could not independently verify the footage.
"Friends, the situation has become dire. Rawalakot is filled with dead bodies and the wounded. For God's sake, stand with us right now; please, stand with us," said Aqeel Bhai, a social media influencer from PoK, in a video message.
"I have just barely escaped with my life. I no longer care about my own survival. After seeing so many brothers martyred. I have come here to plead with you with folded hands. Please have some conscience; to all the international media watching, please support us. We are peaceful people. Countless dead bodies, countless wounded. Our shoulders are exhausted from carrying the bodies," he added.
The Awami Action Committee (AAC), which has been spearheading the campaign to boycott the ongoing elections, has alleged that its members have been the primary targets of the security crackdown.
As voting began on Monday, Pakistan deployed more than 14,000 security personnel across PoK for a major security operation. According to the report, security forces dispersed demonstrators using long-range tear gas shells and live ammunition, while snipers were stationed at multiple locations.
An IANS report, citing sources, claimed that security personnel had been instructed to open fire on those participating in the election boycott as authorities sought to suppress weeks of protests in the region. The claim could not be independently verified.
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Authorities have also suspended internet and mobile services in parts of the region. Water and electricity supplies have reportedly been disrupted in several areas.
Polling for the 45 contested seats in PoK is being held in three phases and will continue until August 10.
The PoK legislative assembly comprises 53 members, of whom 45 are directly elected, while eight seats are reserved for women, technocrats and clerics.
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