The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) on Tuesday, 4 August alleged that Pakistani security forces opened live fire and deployed tear gas against unarmed civilians in Bagh district of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as a widening crackdown on protesters drew sharp international condemnation. The allegations mark a significant escalation in what has become one of the most volatile periods of civil unrest in the occupied territory in recent memory.

Key Allegations

According to the JAAC, security personnel also set fire to civilians' motorcycles in the Makri area of Muzaffarabad district. The committee shared footage of both incidents on social media platform X, calling on the United Nations, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), international media, and human rights organisations to urgently monitor the situation.

In its post, JAAC stated: 'Security forces are using live fire and tear gas against unarmed civilians in Bagh. We call on the United Nations, OHCHR, international media, and human rights organisations to urgently monitor the situation and press for the protection of civilians and accountability for any unlawful use of force.'

Scale of the Crackdown

These latest incidents come amid what the JAAC describes as escalating brutality across PoK, where over 50 people have reportedly been killed and hundreds injured over the past few days. The committee has urged an immediate and independent international investigation and called for accountability for any unlawful use of force by security personnel.

Notably, an internet and mobile services blackout reportedly remains in place across parts of the region, severely hampering independent verification of the full extent of events on the ground.

Amnesty International Weighs In

Leading international human rights organisation Amnesty International called on Pakistani authorities to order a prompt, independent, and transparent investigation into the security forces' conduct against protesters. In a post on X, Amnesty International described reports emerging from Rawalakot as reflecting Pakistani authorities' 'longstanding pattern of unlawful violence' against protesters in PoK.

'A prompt, independent, and transparent investigation must be ordered into the security forces' use of force against protesters. So long as an internet and mobile services blackout remains in place, it will severely impede the independent verification of the full extent of the situation on the ground,' Amnesty International said.

What Happens Next

The JAAC's appeal to the UN and OHCHR signals a deliberate internationalisation of the crisis — a strategy that puts pressure on Islamabad at a time when Pakistan's human rights record is already under scrutiny from multiple multilateral bodies. Whether international institutions respond with formal monitoring mechanisms or statements will likely determine the next phase of the standoff. The communication blackout, if sustained, risks deepening the information vacuum and further inflaming tensions on the ground.