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Political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza, has accused Pakistani security forces of continuing a violent crackdown on civilians in the region, claiming that at least 119 people have been killed and more than 910 injured since protests erupted in June 2026.
In a statement marking five months of the ongoing movement on November 5, Mirza said the agitation began on June 5 with sit-ins and a call for a long march towards Muzaffarabad. However, the march was intercepted by security forces, including Punjab Police, Islamabad Constabulary and Rangers. He also alleged that Sindh Police was illegally deployed in PoJK to suppress the peaceful movement. According to Mirza, three people were killed and 17 injured on November 5 alone. He further alleged that drones were used to attack civilians near a court in Rawalakot. In another incident, five members of a family, including three children and two women, were killed after an unidentified projectile, suspected to be a rocket-propelled grenade, struck their house while they were having a meal. Mirza stated that thousands of people remain unaccounted for after allegedly being forcibly detained and disappeared. He also raised concerns over the whereabouts of Shaukat Nawaz Mir, who was arrested on June 30. He alleged that his family members and lawyers have been denied access to him, while he has also been deprived of access to legal proceedings. The activist further accused paramilitary Rangers of confiscating the bodies of civilians who died during the protests and burying them in unmarked graves without informing families about their whereabouts. Despite the crackdown, Mirza said the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) remains determined and continues to enjoy widespread public support, including among the PoJK diaspora, particularly in the United Kingdom. He rejected Pakistani authorities'' allegations that the movement had links with militant or extremist groups, describing it as a civilian struggle centred on political, economic and civil rights. (ANI)
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