Rawalkot (Pakistan): Protests continued at D-Chowk in Rawalakot, located in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, as social media accounts linked to the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee accused security forces of using lethal force against demonstrators. Protesters have maintained a sit-in for several days, calling for a long march to condemn alleged target killings and brutality. In video testimonies shared by the committee, demonstrators claimed that armed personnel positioned on elevated structures targeted unarmed civilians, resulting in multiple casualties.
Speaking on behalf of the movement, Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee Core Committee member Khan Ilyas Khan emphasized that the demonstrators remain determined despite the deaths. Paying tribute to slain member Osama Jamil, Khan stated that the community will continue to challenge the local administration and security forces. Furthermore, committee-linked accounts issued calls for international solidarity, announcing a demonstration outside the Commercial Section of the Pakistan Embassy in São Paulo, Brazil, to highlight human rights concerns.
The ongoing agitation has drawn political reactions across the region, with the Jammu and Kashmir unit of Shiv Sena staging protests against the alleged actions of the Pakistan Army in the territory. Meanwhile, demonstrators at D-Chowk have appealed to international media organizations to visit the region and independently cover the situation. The claims regarding the fatalities and specific security force operations have not been independently verified.
