The authorities’ violent and sweeping crackdown on protests in Pakistan-administrated Jammu and Kashmir – including an internet shutdown, mass arbitrary arrests, and deadly use of force – continues an alarming deterioration of human rights in the region, Amnesty International said.
On 5 June, the region’s authorities issued a notification designating the Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) as a “proscribed organization” under the first schedule of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Terrorism Act, 2014. The JKJAAC is a grassroots movement advocating for the economic and political rights of the people of Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir. The group planned to go ahead with a rally today despite a ban by the authorities.
“Branding a grassroots organization as ‘terrorist’ on vague grounds, while simultaneously cutting the region off from the outside world, raises serious concerns regarding the Pakistani authorities’ conduct and their disregard for human rights. The proscription of JKJAAC under anti-terror laws is disproportionate, unlawful and a violation of the right to freedom of association,” said Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia.
