A British national was killed by Pakistani security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) during clashes with protesters. Meanwhile, another British citizen has been held in a prison in Mirpur for more than two months amid continuing unrest in the region.
The deaths and detention have occurred as the Indian territory, under Pakistan’s illegal occupation since 1948, has witnessed months of protests led by the outlawed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). Demonstrators have been demanding economic relief and greater political representation.
Mohammad Akhtar, a resident of Peterborough, a city around 119 km north of London, was killed on June 9 while he was in Kotli, near an area where large-scale clashes between Pakistani security forces and protesters had broken out, according to a report by the London-based Guardian on Monday, August 10.
Akhtar, 50, was reportedly killed when Pakistani security forces opened fire on a gathering of protesters seeking economic and electoral reforms in POK. His family alleged that he was killed by the firing.
Akhtar’s cousin Mohammad Saad said the British citizen was in Kotli but was not taking part in the protests. He was reportedly struck by a stray bullet near his home.
“There was firing by the forces that day, and he [Akhtar] was hit by a stray bullet,” Saad told The Guardian, adding that Akhtar sustained a gunshot wound to the side of his chest.
Saad said the family did not approach British authorities over the incident because they were unable to file a police complaint in POK and feared that they could face repercussions if the matter attracted further attention.
BRITISH NATIONAL IMPRISONED IN POK SINCE JUNE
Another British citizen, Waqas Arif from Nottingham, has reportedly been in a Mirpur prison for more than two months after being detained following protests on June 5, The Guardian reported.
Arif’s family told the newspaper that he had not taken part in the demonstrations. His sister Sumera alleged that Pakistani security forces and Rangers entered their home and detained him.
“There is no charge. He hasn't done anything,” she said, adding that she believed several others had also been jailed as part of an effort to suppress the protests.
Arif’s wife, Varisha Kampulvi, said British authorities had been unable to establish direct contact with him since his detention.
In an email dated June 26, the UK Foreign Office told Kampulvi that consular officials had contacted Pakistani authorities at the prison and were informed that Arif was in good health. However, officials had not been able to speak to him directly.
POK ENGULFED BY PROTESTS SINCE JUNE
The killing of one British citizen and the continued detention of another come amid a wider crackdown by Pakistani authorities against supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee, a civil society group that has spearheaded protests in POK seeking economic and political reforms.
According to reports, nearly 90 protesters have been killed by Pakistani security personnel in the territory.
The JAAC-led agitation initially centred on demands for relief from high electricity tariffs and greater allocations of subsidised flour. The movement later expanded to include a demand to scrap the reservation of 12 seats in POK’s so-called Assembly for refugees from Kashmir who are settled in Pakistan.
Although the intensity of the protests has varied since June, fresh demonstrations and violence have been reported in POK since the three-phase elections began on July 27. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has dismissed the elections in the territory under Pakistan’s illegal occupation as a “complete farce” and criticised Islamabad’s forceful response, including the use of violence to contain the unrest.
Pakistani authorities have designated the JAAC as a terrorist organisation. However, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has indicated that Islamabad remains willing to hold talks with the group.
UK, UN EXPRESS CONCERNS ON POK VIOLENCE
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) told The Guardian that it was “deeply concerned” about developments in parts of POK. It added that British ministers and the UK High Commissioner in Islamabad were in contact with Pakistani officials.
The Guardian reported that former Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer raised the situation in POK during discussions in Islamabad in June. Current Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty has also reportedly been in communication with Pakistani authorities.
In June, PTI reported that at least 30 British MPs had written to the UK government, urging it to engage proactively and use appropriate diplomatic channels to encourage de-escalation and a peaceful resolution.
Meanwhile, UN Deputy Spokesperson for Secretary-General Farhan Haq said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres supported the efforts of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and hoped his appeals concerning the situation would be followed.
Turk had expressed concern over developments in POK on July 17 and called for an impartial and comprehensive investigation into the deaths of protesters, Pakistan’s ban on the JAAC and the arrests of its leaders. In a statement issued in Geneva last month, Turk also appealed for calm ahead of the so-called elections held at the end of July.
The intensifying crackdown by Pakistani security forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir has affected not only protesters but also foreign nationals who were reportedly not involved in the demonstrations.
