From Farooq Tariq in Lahore. Pakistan kills Kashmiri people:
Last night, on 27th July, in one of most brutal attack on an unarmed rally, Pakistani rangers and police have killed at least 19 Kashmiris, Dozens were injured.
This direct firing by state forces on the demonstrators was without any provocation. The participants of the long march to Kashmir capital Muzafarabad were camping for over a month in the outskirts of Rawalakot, one of main city of Pakistani controlled Kashmir.
They were in thousands who came on the call of Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, a non partisan civil society mass organisation who had led earlier mass campaigns for lowering of electricity prices.
This time they were asking election reforms which enable Kashmiris for real representation. They were demanding an end of 12 seats for Muhajirs (migrants) Kashmiris settled in Pakistan. These seats were mainly a political gimmick used to form the governments in Kashmir.
JAC was banned after lengthy negotiations with them by the state ministers that failed. The JAC was termed as a terrorist organisation linked to India and main leaders as Indian RAW agents. Most of the main leaders were arrested. A curfew was imposed in Rawalakot, the main centre of resistence to state repression.
However, in one of most glaring example of mass awakening, whole Kashmir was almost shut down on the call of JAC, no shops opened and no internet and no people in the streets. JAC had become the real representative of Kashmiris.
The Government wanted to go ahead with the scheduled general elections on 27th July 2026. It did go for general elections with a mass boycott of the whole process and very small numbers of people voting.
The same day, on 27th July, JAC had announced the long march to Muzafarabad, which was met with direct firing and tear gas.
One of the main characteristics of this mass movement for civil and political rights was the participation of women who came in thousands every day at the sit in outside Rawalkot for over a month. They brought food for the
Participants of the sit in and did all efforts that could help to continue the sit in.
Never ever such a brave mass movement is witnessed by this region as this one from Pakistani controlled Kashmir. Over 50 have been killed by the state forces since the movement started a month ago. Now around 20 more last night.
The long march will start again today from Rawlakot where despite the bloodshed, the participants were able to enter the city and break the barriers of the state to stop them.
This is to demand solidarity form the international labour and civil movements. Please condemn the death and direct firing and send protest letters to Pakistan embassies. Please raise the issue where ever possible. The death on innocent barre Kashmiris should not go unheard.
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