‘Disproportionate use of force deepened polarisation in AJK’
LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has attributed the recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) to longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust and governance deficits, saying an increasingly confrontational state response, including the disproportionate use of force, further deepened polarisation and eroded public trust. The HRCP…
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has highlighted the disproportionate use of force by the state during recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as a significant factor in deepening polarisation and eroding public trust. The HRCP's fact-finding report, Civic Spaces under Strain in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, attributes the unrest to longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust, and governance deficits.
The report emphasizes that the government's confrontational response, including the excessive use of force against protesters, exacerbated the situation. It calls for an independent investigation into alleged deaths and injuries during protests, as well as a review of the government's use of anti-terrorism and preventive-detention provisions against political activists.
Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
