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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Amnesty International have expressed concern over reports of violence in the Rawalakot area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Poonch district, and called on the authorities to probe the incidents.
Clashes took place between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot on Monday and Mirpur on Tuesday, which reportedly resulted in several casualties.
The now-proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has been demanding the abolishment of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for refugees from Indian-held Kashmir, has been holding protests in the region for several weeks now.
The government has accused militant elements “pursuing a foreign agenda and backed by Indian funding” of fomenting the unrest. The tensions come as elections are being held across AJK in three division-wise phases.
