Widening use of security powers by Pakistani forces has increased human rights concerns in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, PoJK. Over the past decade, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and several other international organisations have repeatedly raised concerns over enforced disappearances, excessive use of force, restrictions on freedom of expression, and lack of accountability in the occupied territory. On July 27, the first day of so-called legislative elections in PoJK, violent clashes broke out in Rawalakot, with the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) alleging that Pakistani security forces used live ammunition against protesters, resulting in several deaths and injuries.
A report in Brussels-based EU Reporter has highlighted that the ongoing shutdown of mobile and internet services made independent verification difficult, restricting the ability of journalists and human rights groups to assess the situation on the ground. According to the report, counterterrorism laws and emergency measures are increasingly being applied to manage routine political dissent in the PoJK.
