Key facts
- Clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir killed 11 people and injured more than 70.
- The incident occurred ahead of a protest called by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
- Police reported four officers and a passerby died after protesters allegedly shot at them.
- Six protesters were killed in the security forces' response, according to the Poonch sector commissioner.
- The JAAC is protesting the reservation of 12 seats for refugees in the region's upcoming legislative elections.
- The regional government designated the JAAC a proscribed group under an anti-terror law.
Clashes erupted in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, resulting in 11 deaths and over 70 injuries, as security forces attempted to disperse protesters from the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The incident occurred ahead of a planned protest on Tuesday concerning reserved seats in the region's upcoming legislative elections.
According to police, four officers and a passerby were killed when protesters allegedly opened fire. The commissioner of the Poonch sector, Sardar Waheed Khan, stated that six protesters were killed in the security forces' response. Police Chief Liaqat Malik reported that 23 security officials and 50 protesters were among the injured, with 30 arrests made.
A JAAC leader, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, described the events as a "massacre" and vowed to proceed with a planned lockdown. However, Khan refuted this, asserting that the state's actions were aimed at restoring law and order and accused the JAAC of misleading the public. He alleged that protesters used automatic rifles and petrol bombs against security forces.
The JAAC called for a strike to protest the reservation of 12 seats for refugees in the July 27 elections to the region's legislative assembly, demanding the abolition of these seats for candidates not residing in Kashmir. The regional government recently designated the JAAC a proscribed group under an anti-terror law and advised tourists to leave the area.
Previous demonstrations led by the JAAC against rising costs of flour and electricity in the past two years have also resulted in fatalities following clashes with security forces.