The Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a multi-party opposition alliance in Pakistan, accused police on Monday of preventing its leaders from traveling to unrest-hit Azad Kashmir to show support for protesters. The TTAP described the move as a violation of fundamental rights amid rising political tensions in the region.
Police Stop Delegation at Kahuta
According to a TTAP statement, the delegation included former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, veteran politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai, and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar. They were en route to Azad Kashmir when police stopped them at Kahuta city in Rawalpindi district. The TTAP said its members asked police for the legal basis of the blockade. In response, police cited 'orders from higher authorities' without providing any written directive or legal order.
The alliance argued that preventing peaceful political activity and solidarity with the people of Azad Kashmir contravenes constitutional rights. The delegation termed the restriction an infringement on political freedoms.
Background of Unrest
The protests in Azad Kashmir have been led by the proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil rights group. The JAAC has been staging sit-ins in Muzaffarabad and other cities against reserved seats in the electoral assembly for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir. The group alleges that these seats are exploited by mainstream Pakistani political parties to sway government formation in the region. The government denies these claims and has warned protesters against taking the law into their own hands.
Officials have reported more than 20 deaths in clashes this month. The unrest has escalated as elections for the regional legislative assembly, scheduled for July 27, approach.
Government Response
Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif accused the protesters of attempting to disrupt the upcoming polls through violent demonstrations. The government has maintained that the protests are unlawful and has urged restraint.
Azad Kashmir is the Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Kashmir region, which both India and Pakistan claim in full. The region has a history of political tensions, often linked to the broader Kashmir conflict.
