Pak Govt Must End Crackdown On Protesters In PoJK, Choose Dialogue: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Jul 30: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday urged the Pakistan government to end its crackdown on protesters in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), calling for dialogue and a more humane approach to address the unrest. In a post on X, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the visuals emerging from across the Line of Control were “deeply heartbreaking” and expressed concern over the reported use of force against peaceful demonstrators. “It is painful to see peaceful protesters being met with brute force. The Government of Pakistan must adopt a more humane approach and choose dialogue over force,” she said. Mehbooba said reports indicate that the protesters’ demands are genuine and deserve to be heard. “No nation grows stronger by disempowering its own people or by silencing them at gunpoint. The Government must end the crackdown and stop spraying bullets at peaceful protesters. Kashmiris deserve dignity, justice and the right to be heard, not repression,” she added. According to a report by The New York Times, at least 30 people, including protesters, security personnel and bystanders, have been killed in clashes since early June, with fresh violence reported earlier this week. The protests in PoJK have been led by the Joint Awami Action Committee, a coalition of activist groups, over the allocation of 12 contentious seats in the region’s legislative assembly.