Rawalakot: Global human rights and press freedom watchdogs, including Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ Asia), have issued urgent statements condemning escalating state violence, press restrictions, and media suppression surrounding ongoing protests in Rawalakot and across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
The monitoring groups are raising alarms over the reported enforced disappearances of journalists, restrictions on foreign outlets, and widespread internet shutdowns, demanding an immediate halt to the crackdown and transparent investigations into human rights violations.
Highlighting disturbing reports of force used against demonstrators in Rawalakot, Amnesty International pointed to a pattern of state-led violence and urged an immediate external inquiry.
"The disturbing reports emerging from Rawalakot are consistent with the Pakistauthorities' long history of unlawful violence against protesters in Jammu and Kashmir. A prompt, independent, and transparent investigation must be ordered into the security forces' use of force against protesters. So long as an internet and mobile services blackout remains in place, it will severely impede the independent verification of the full extent of the situation on the ground. We urge the Pakistani authorities to restore all communications access and allow media and independent observers into the area," Amnesty said in a post on X.
