Rawalakot/POK: Acting on instructions issued by Islamabad the local administration baton-charged and used tear gas shells on Kashmiri protesters at Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) on Wednesday. The protesters were demanding that the administration complete Tuli Pir Road in POK.
“Police used tear gas and lathi charged all the participants of the Public Action Committee at Chandni Chowk in Rawalakot, POK. Several people were injured in this mindless attack on peaceful protesters,” a local eyewitness from Rawalakot told News Intervention.
However, despite using tear gas shells and lathi charging the Rawalakot police have failed to disperse the protesters who have now reached in front of the commissioner’s office for a sit-in. Local sources said that the protesters are now sitting in front of the commissioner’s office.
Earlier, a large number of protesters had gathered in caravans at the Jabota Cross in heavy rain and cold, from where they marched towards Rawalakot in the form of a rally. It was then that Islamabad issued directions to its puppet administration in Rawalakot to use brute force and stop this protest march. The Chandni Chowk Police then baton-charged the protesting crowd and used tear gas shells. However, despite the police brutality, the protesters managed to reach the commissioner’s office and the protests were still on till the time of writing this news report.
Rawalakot is a POK-based town, which Pakistan calls as Azad Kashmir (free Kashmir) but then local Kashmiris have absolutely zero rights. The local administration in Muzaffarabad takes diktats from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and the local Kashmiris cannot even demand basic facilities for themselves. Even on Wednesday the protesters had gathered to demand the completion of Tuli Pir Road but the Pakistan Army and ISI do not allow even these protests.