Residents in Rawalakot, Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), have called on the Pakistani government to grant domestic and international media unrestricted access to independently verify allegations of excessive force and civilian casualties during ongoing civil unrest.
Local activists and demonstrators report that security personnel, including police, Rangers, and Frontier Corps, have been deployed on rooftops to target unarmed protesters exercising their democratic rights during nearly two months of continuous demonstrations over public governance and rights.
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Residents Deny Violent Intent
Sardar Aman Khan Kashmiri, a local resident speaking from Rawalakot, criticized officials for mischaracterizing the nature of the public demonstrations.
"If there are terrorists here, let Pakistan's media and the international media come and see for themselves," said Sardar Aman Khan Kashmiri.
Kashmiri stated that the crowds assembled in the city are ordinary citizens seeking judicial fairness, employment opportunities, and educational access rather than violent actors, adding that tax-funded defense resources are being deployed internally against local populations.
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Social media creator and local resident Aqeel echoed these concerns from D-Chowk in Rawalakot, noting that security forces continued firing and shelling despite demonstrators carrying white flags to signify peaceful intentions.
"If there are terrorists here, let Pakistan's media and the international media come and see for themselves," said Aqeel, local resident and influencer.
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Aqeel reported that protests reignited after the government failed to fulfill commitments outlined in a prior charter of demands, claiming that dozens of demonstrators sustained fatal gunshot wounds during recent clashes across the region.
