Eleven Dead in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir Protests, India Urges International Accountability

On June 8 security forces opened fire on protesters in Rawalakot, Pakistan‑Occupied Kashmir, killing eleven people – six demonstrators, four police officers and one bystander – and wounding more than seventy others. The crackdown followed the Pakistani government's ban on the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) a day earlier under the Anti‑Terrorism Act, and a subsequent internet shutdown that left the region offline for a third consecutive day.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded by calling on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for what New Delhi described as a “desperate attempt to cover up governance failures.” The ministry cited the killings as evidence of Pakistan’s inability to govern the disputed territory.

Human‑rights advocate Darakshan Hassan echoed the condemnation, stating that the civilian deaths and the heavy‑handed response reflect a serious failure of Pakistan’s security and governance policies. Hassan urged UN human‑rights bodies to intervene and warned that the unrest signals deep‑seated anger over political and economic neglect in the region.