India again denounces Pakistan’s crackdown in PoJK, urges global action

New Delhi has criticised Islamabad’s actions in PoJK several times over the past few weeks as the region has witnessed widespread violence that has left more than 40 people dead since June

Published on: Jul 31, 2026, 20:56:00 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar, New Delhi

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India on Friday denounced the Pakistan government’s use of “ruthless force” against civilian protesters in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and again urged the international community to hold Islamabad accountable for atrocities perpetrated in the region.

New Delhi has criticised Islamabad’s actions in PoJK several times over the past few weeks as the region has witnessed widespread violence that has left more than 40 people dead since June. The protests in the region, which India claims are being spearheaded by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), have been outlawed by Pakistani authorities under an anti-terrorism law.

“As you and all of us have witnessed, the Pakistani establishment continues to unleash ruthless force against peaceful civilians in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This crackdown has resulted in the tragic death of over 40 innocent people and many more have been seriously injured,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing in response to questions on the situation in the region.

Jaiswal contended that the Pakistani establishment’s “absolute disdain for the innocent people of PoJK was laid bare” when Defence Minister Khawaja Asif branded the protesting civilians as “enemies”.

He also highlighted remarks made by veteran Pakistani politician Rana Sanaullah, who said on a TV news programme that the situation in PoJK had been exacerbated by the presence of mujahideen who were trained by Pakistan to target India. Sanaullah currently serves as the special assistant on political affairs to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Jaiswal noted that Sanaullah had “openly admitted that the very mujahideen that the Pakistani establishment trained, funded, armed and sent to India have now turned their guns inward, weaponising themselves against the state”.

Sanaullah told a TV news programme on Geo News channel that the Pakistan-trained mujahideen are now “hanging around our necks”. He alleged they were also involved in efforts to seize Muzaffarabad and Mirpur in an “India-like attack”.

The JAAC initially launched a movement to protest against inflation, high electricity tariffs and the reservation of seats in the legislative assembly for refugees from the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which it claimed were used to manipulate the outcome of elections. The protests flared up again during the first phase of elections to the local assembly on July 27, with security forces opening fire on protesters. Reports said some 20 people were killed in the violence.

Jaiswal said the “so-called elections stand as a humiliating rejection of the Pakistani establishment”. He added, “Facing a violent regime, the people there have requested international organisations for an independent investigation into the unlawful killings. We urge that the international community should scrutinise Pakistan’s actions and hold it accountable for its atrocities.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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