UN rights chief calls for calm, dialogue amid AJK unrest

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday appealed for calm in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), calling for meaningful and inclusive political dialogue to resolve the underlying issues amid a wave of unrest ahead of the region’s legislative elections later this month.

His appeal came as the situation in AJK remained tense after the government banned the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the group leading the protests, under anti-terrorism laws. JAAC has continued its sit-in and vowed to maintain the protest until its “legitimate demands” are met.

Several protesters and police have been killed in clashes since June ahead of legislative elections scheduled for July 27.

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Türk called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths related to the unrest, including those of protesters and security personnel.

The UN rights chief also expressed concern over the banning of JAAC under anti-terrorism laws, saying the criminalization of a civil society organization and the imposition of strict restrictions on public gatherings raised serious concerns about possible violations of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.

He also called for detained JAAC leaders to be given access to legal representation and their families, stressing that their right to due process and a fair trial must be fully guaranteed.

Türk further expressed concern over restrictions on internet access in the region, saying they disproportionately curtailed the right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, at a time of heightened tensions.

“We call on the authorities to ensure full internet access throughout the territory,” he said.

The UN rights chief also reiterated his call for a meaningful and inclusive political dialogue to address the grievances and concerns of the local population.

Background

The latest unrest and deadly clashes erupted in areas including Rawalakot where the JAAC had held a sit-in outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot. AJK police claim that armed JAAC members opened fire on deployed law enforcers in a planned attack, leaving four people dead and around 20 injured. JAAC, however, disputes this account and claims that security forces used tear gas and fired grenades at the hospital.

According to the AJK police, three people associated with JAAC and four policemen were killed during the protests. However, JAAC said in a statement that seven people were killed and dozens were injured when street shelling was carried out in the dark after electricity was reportedly cut.

The clash came as the AJK government and JAAC witnessed a face-off when the election date for AJK was announced on July 27.

Read more: Certain elements seeking to destabilize AJK despite repeated offers of dialogue: Rana Sanaullah

AJK’s 53-member legislature includes 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees – people who fled Indian-controlled Kashmir in 1947 and 1965 and are now spread across Pakistan. Six seats represent refugees from the Jammu division (~434,000 people) and six from the Kashmir Valley (~30,000 people) – an already lopsided arrangement that many see as unfair.

The region experienced one of its most turbulent periods last October, when protests led by JAAC broke out over demands for constitutional and government reforms. At least nine people, including three policemen, were killed during the unrest.

JAAC, which organized the protests and strike, had presented a comprehensive charter of demands, including an end to the privileges enjoyed by the ruling elite, the abolition of 12 assembly spaces reserved for refugees and the abolition of the quota system.

Two days after the violence, the government and JAAC reached an agreement covering 12 core points and 13 additional points. Under the agreement, both sides agreed to set up a high-level committee to look into the issue of refugee seats in the AJK Legislative Assembly.