Islamabad, Sep 23 (IANS) Pakistan continues to respond to the protests that erupted in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over lack of basic rights, administrative oppression, and high living costs with prolonged internet blackouts, according to a report.

Mobile data and broadband services have remained suspended in PoK since the protests for electoral reform erupted in the occupied territory in June. The partial internet blackout imposed by Pakistani authorities since June 5 continues in PoK, NetBlocks, an independent observer that monitors internet shutdowns, has said, according to a report in PJ Media.

The disruption of internet services has affected business activity, online banking, and the academic year for students in PoK, as the authorities have postponed entrance exams. Protests in PoK were held over electoral reforms and political representation in the lead-up to the regional general elections.

PoK's legislative Assembly has 45 seats, including 12 reserved for refugees settled in other parts of Pakistan. Protests led by the grassroots umbrella group Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) called for abolishing the 12 seats reserved for refugees and contended that these seats allow mainstream Pakistani political parties and the military establishment to manipulate local elections.

Before the protest started in PoK in June, the Pakistan government declared JKJAAC a terrorist group and suspended mobile data and broadband internet services in the occupied territory. The communication and the arrest of JKJAAC leaders sparked public outrage, which led to a massive protest in the PoK, according to the PJ Media report.

The unrest in PoK peaked when the authorities started voting for the so-called polls in three phases. Security forces used lethal force to stop protesters from marching near Rawalakot and Kotli in PoK. Local reports have claimed that more than 80 people were killed, including several security personnel and hundreds of other protesters were injured or detained. Several videos posted on various social media handles, including that of the JKJAAC, have shown the massive brutality of Pakistani forces in PoK over the past many months.

"Hence, widespread protests in PoK have broken out over lack of basic rights, administrative oppression, and high living costs. Pakistan's security forces have responded with police brutality, internet blackouts, and live fire against unarmed demonstrators, leading to civilian deaths and injuries. International bodies have called on Islamabad to be held accountable for these abuses. Yet Pakistan continues to respond with prolonged internet blackouts," Turkey-based journalist Uzay Bulut said in the PJK Media report.

Last month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said the recent unrest in PoK resulted from longstanding political and socioeconomic grievances, institutional distrust and governance deficits and an increasingly confrontational state response, including the disproportionate use of force.

In its fact-finding report 'Civic Spaces under Strain' in PoK, the HRCP said: "While accounts differed sharply on the nature of JAAC, the scale and causes of violence, and the conduct of security forces, there was broad recognition among political and community stakeholders that the underlying grievances required a political response. The resort to coercive measures in place of sustained dialogue appears to have deepened polarisation and eroded public trust."

The HRCP stated that the unrest had implications for various rights and freedoms beyond the elections, including the rights to life, liberty and security of person; freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association; freedom of movement; access to information; and participation in public affairs. It said that the prolonged internet and mobile shutdowns, restrictions on movement, disruption of access to essential commodities and healthcare, arrests of activists and journalists and the use of anti-terrorism and other detention provisions narrowed civic space in PoK.

--IANS

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