Opposition Coalition Claims Police Barred Leaders from Visiting Turbulent Azad Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani multi‑party opposition coalition said police prevented its leaders from traveling to unrest‑hit Azad Kashmir on Monday to show solidarity with demonstrators, alleging that the action infringed on their fundamental rights amid rising political tensions.

The banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil‑rights group, has spearheaded protests against the regional government this month, triggering clashes with security forces and heightening political strain. Authorities report that over 20 people have died in the unrest so far.

JAAC has organized sit‑in demonstrations in Muzaffarabad and other localities, opposing the reserved seats in the regional assembly designated for refugees from Indian‑administered Kashmir. The coalition claims these seats allow mainstream Pakistani parties to sway Azad Kashmir’s government formation, a charge the administration rejects while urging protesters to avoid unlawful actions.

In a statement, the Tehreek‑e‑Tahaffuz‑e‑Ayeen‑e‑Pakistan (TTAP) said its delegation — comprising former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, senior politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar — was en route to Azad Kashmir to show support for the sit‑in protesters when police halted them at Kahuta city in Rawalpindi district.

“The delegation inquired under what legal basis they were being barred from moving forward,” TTAP stated. “Police replied that they were acting on instructions from higher authorities.”

TTAP maintained that the blockade violated its members’ right to peaceful political activity and to express solidarity with Azad Kashmir’s residents, arguing that stopping the delegation without a legal order or written directive infringed upon their fundamental rights.

The delegation asserted that the action amounted to imposing restrictions on political freedoms.

Azad Kashmir constitutes one portion of the disputed Himalayan Kashmir territory, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but administered separately by each. Tensions between JAAC and the Azad Kashmir administration have intensified ahead of the region’s legislative‑assembly elections scheduled for July 27.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that protesters intend to disrupt next month’s elections through violent demonstrations.

Source link