Disproportionate use of force deepened polarisation in AJK: HRCP

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has identified disproportionate use of force by security forces as a significant factor in deepening polarisation and eroding public trust in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). In their fact-finding report, Civic Spaces under Strain in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the HRCP highlighted the role of longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust, and governance deficits in the recent unrest.

The commission noted that the dispute over the implementation of a 2025 agreement with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and the controversy surrounding 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan were central to the political confrontation. The HRCP further emphasized the need for an independent investigation into allegations of lethal and excessive use of force against protesters, as well as the use of anti-terrorism and preventive-detention provisions against political activists.

Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.