The Jammu Kashmir People’s National Party has strongly condemned the brutal use of state power, indiscriminate firing, violence and loss of human lives against peaceful citizens in Rawalakot, Mirpur and other areas of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
A statement issued by the party’s central secretariat said that firing bullets at citizens who were peacefully marching towards Muzaffarabad in support of their demands, subjecting them to violence and attempting to suppress their voices through force is a clear violation of state coercion, tyranny and fundamental human rights, which has written another dark chapter in history.
The statement further said that the policy of crushing dissent with bullets, sticks and force is unacceptable under any circumstances. Any attempt to silence the people through state violence and fear will not only fail morally and politically but will also create further unrest and instability in the region.
The party said that the continuous interference and behind-the-scenes role of Pakistan’s intelligence agencies in the political affairs of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir has made the situation more complicated and tense. The party demanded that the interference of intelligence agencies in political affairs and decision-making be completely eliminated so that the people can enjoy a free and democratic political process.
The party further demanded that all incidents of firing and violence be investigated in an independent, transparent and impartial manner, that those responsible be brought to justice and that immediate justice be provided to the families of the martyrs and the injured.
The Jammu Kashmir People’s National Party strongly appealed to the United Nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and other international human rights organizations to take immediate notice of the ongoing state repression, serious human rights violations, killings, injuries to civilians and attacks on the right to freedom of expression and peaceful protest in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir, press for a fact-based independent investigation and play an effective role to prevent further loss of human lives.
The party made it clear that the voice of the people cannot be suppressed through oppression, coercion, violence and state power. Respect for the political, national and fundamental human rights of the people is the only guarantee of lasting peace, justice and stability, while the policy of force and coercion will only breed hatred, conflict and more bloodshed.
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