A minor girl, Ayesha Saqib, a ninth-grade student, was reportedly killed on Thursday, 13 November 2026, when Pakistani security forces opened fire in the Mutialmera area of Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), while she was playing in the courtyard of her home. Her sister, Jawairiya Saqib, reportedly sustained critical injuries in the same incident, according to the United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP), which cited local reports.

UKPNP Condemns the Killing, Demands International Action

The UKPNP on Friday strongly condemned the reported killing, calling for immediate intervention by the United Nations, international human rights organisations, and the global community at large. The group urged Pakistani authorities to provide an immediate explanation for reported civilian killings that it says have been occurring since 5 June 2026 in PoK.

The party further demanded an independent international investigation into alleged human rights abuses in the territory. “Statements of concern alone cannot protect children or save innocent lives. The blood of Kashmiri children demands justice, not silence. Protect Kashmiri civilians. Stop the violence. Launch an independent international investigation without delay,” the UKPNP said in a statement.

Pattern of Violence: Drone Strikes, Mortar Fire and Civilian Casualties

This incident is part of a wider pattern of reported violence in PoK, particularly in and around Rawalakot. According to local reports cited by the UKPNP, several people — including women and children — have been killed and dozens more seriously injured in recent days after Pakistani security forces allegedly opened fire on peaceful protesters and carried out drone strikes against civilians.

The UKPNP has called on Pakistani authorities to immediately halt alleged attacks on civilians, including reported drone strikes, mortar shelling, and heavy weapons fire, and to establish an independent, UN-supervised international fact-finding mission in the region.

British Kashmiris Protest, Memorandum Submitted to PM Sharif

Earlier this week, British Kashmiris staged protests at multiple locations across the United Kingdom, including outside Pakistani diplomatic missions in London, Manchester, Bradford, and Birmingham. The demonstrations called for an end to what protesters described as a brutal crackdown on civilians by Pakistani forces in Rawalakot and other parts of PoK.

According to the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a delegation of the British Kashmiri community submitted an urgent memorandum to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging immediate measures to protect civilians, provide medical and humanitarian access, preserve evidence, and resume direct negotiations in PoK.

The memorandum specifically referenced fresh deaths, injuries and serious allegations arising from security operations in Rawalakot on 5 November 2026. “The situation now requires direct humanitarian intervention. Delay risks further civilian harm, deepening alienation, deterioration of public order and the closing of the remaining space for peaceful dialogue,” the signatories stated.

UN Special Procedures and Human Rights Concerns

The British Kashmiri memorandum also urged Pakistani authorities to respond to concerns recently raised by six United Nations Special Procedures over the worsening human rights situation in PoK. The memorandum called on the government to act on independently corroborated deaths, address documented information gaps, and ensure prompt, impartial investigations into allegations of abuses.

As international pressure mounts and civil society voices grow louder, the situation in Rawalakot and the broader PoK region remains volatile, with the full scale of civilian casualties yet to be independently verified.