Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir — Direct local reports from Rawalakot claim that security forces allegedly opened direct fire on peaceful sit-in protesters near CMH Rawalakot, resulting in a large number of casualties. According to the latest information received from local sources, between 150 and 200 people are feared killed or seriously injured after the firing incident.
Witnesses from the area claim that the route from CMH Rawalakot to Pilot High School is covered with blood, with several injured people lying in the area after the incident. Protesters were reportedly sitting peacefully and raising demands connected to basic rights, civil protections, and public grievances when the situation turned violent.
Local accounts allege that personnel from security forces, including Pakistan Army, FC/Rangers, and other law-enforcement units, opened direct fire on unarmed demonstrators. The protesters, according to witnesses, were not carrying weapons and were participating in a sit-in demonstration to demand their basic human rights.
There are also serious allegations that families are being stopped from recovering the bodies of their loved ones. Some local sources further claim that several bodies have gone missing, creating fear, anger, and panic among residents.
This is a developing and extremely serious human rights situation. Independent verification is urgently needed, but the scale of the claims coming from the ground cannot be ignored. Human rights organizations, independent journalists, legal observers, and international institutions must immediately investigate what happened in Rawalakot.
No peaceful protest should be answered with bullets. No family should be denied the right to recover, identify, and bury their loved ones with dignity. The people of Azad Kashmir deserve protection, justice, and the basic democratic right to raise their voices without fear of deadly force.
#Rawalakot #AzadKashmir #HumanRights #CivilianProtection #IndependentInvestigation
