Imran Khan must stop human rights violations in PoK: JKNAP | World News - Hindustan Times
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Imran Khan must stop human rights violations in PoK: JKNAP

By | Written by Meenakshi Ray
Jul 30, 2021 10:45 AM IST

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the recently-held assembly elections in PoK.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan must ensure human rights violations stop and people get the "right to speak and live" in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the UK chapter of the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party (JKNAP) has said as it pointed to the violence in the area during recently-held assembly elections. News agency ANI reported two people were killed and over a dozen wounded on Monday after Pakistan's paramilitary force opened fire at a crowd in Sharda Valley of Neelum district.

Imran Khan's PTI came to power in the region, which has so far been mostly ruled by the PML-N or Pakistan People’s Party. (Reuters File Photo)
Imran Khan's PTI came to power in the region, which has so far been mostly ruled by the PML-N or Pakistan People’s Party. (Reuters File Photo)

The JKNAP's memorandum on Facebook came as India rejected the elections held in PoK, which were swept by Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on July 25, and said the polls were an attempt to camouflage Pakistan’s “illegal occupation” of the region.

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This was the first time Imran Khan's PTI came to power in the region, which has so far been mostly ruled by the PML-N or Pakistan People’s Party.

Also read | India rejects elections in PoK, opposes reference to Kashmir in China-Pakistan statement

"Human rights violations are intolerable here. The killing of a young man by security forces in the name of security in Azad Jammu and Kashmir in the daylight is highly reprehensible," the JKNAP said in its memorandum. "We want justice. We should not be killed; we should be given the right to speak and live and the murderers should be brought to justice," it said.

It said the lives of Kashmiris are in danger because of the "illegal occupation of Pakistan" and that "any attempt to undermine or abolish the state subject legislation in Pakistani Azad Jammu & Kashmir violates the relevant international law". The JKNAP said it was unacceptable and that they are "committed to oppose and expose any such moves before the international court of law and the world community."

"We ask for an immediate restoration to the state subject and removal of all construction, purchases and appointments taken place after the illegal and unauthorised abolition of the state subject legislation in Gilgit-Baltistan," it added.

Also read | Imran Khan's party wins PoK elections marred by irregularities, violence

The civil liberties of people living in areas of Jammu and Kashmir under Pakistan occupation have been gradually curtailed over the years, it said adding that political parties with "ideology of an independent Jammu & Kashmir" have not been allowed to participate in local elections.

It called upon Imran Khan to lift the ban on books and ensure freedom of speech and expression as well as restore state subject rule in Gilgit Baltistan.

"To promote peace in Jammu & Kashmir we ask GOP to empower the Muzaffarabad Government so that the representatives can seek political and diplomatic support from the international community for a peaceful political solution of the long-standing issue of Jammu & Kashmir."

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