Key Takeaways
- Senator Kamran Murtaza has submitted a motion in the Senate regarding the deteriorating law and order situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
- Scores of civilians have allegedly lost their lives in clashes with security forces over the past two months.
- The government claims several security personnel were also killed during protests.
Senator Kamran Murtaza from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) has moved a motion in the Senate Secretariat, calling for urgent intervention to address the deteriorating law and order situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
According to local civil society and activists, up to 25 to 30 people have been killed over consecutive days of violence in Mirpur AJK since early June.
The motion was submitted on Wednesday under Rule 218 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012, which allows any member to bring matters for discussion by the Senate.
The law and order situation has worsened following paramilitary forces sent by the federal government attempting to stop a long march led by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).
Protestors, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, have been demanding the abolition of 12 seats reserved for refugees from Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) in AJK’s Legislative Assembly.
Other demands include cutting back on elite privileges and providing subsidized electricity, education, and health reforms in AJK.
Since early June, dozens of protestors have reportedly lost their lives in violent skirmishes with paramilitary forces, particularly the Rangers.
The government has alleged that several security personnel were also killed during these protests.
Senator Murtaza’s motion can only be taken up once the Senate is in session and his motion is admitted into the Senate business agenda.
