Glasgow [Scotland], October 30 (ANI): Human rights activist Amjad Ayub Mirza has condemned the reported killing of five members of a family, including three children, in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), and urged the United Nations, the Government of India and the international community to intervene amid allegations of escalating violence against civilians.
In a press statement issued from Glasgow, Scotland, on October 30, Mirza, Chairman of Jammu Kashmir Tehreek-e-Ittifaq-e-Rai, said that a reported grenade or rocket attack on a civilian residence had killed three children, their mother and their grandmother.
The victims were identified in his statement as Harris, 12, Malaika, 8, Anika, 15, their mother Shazia and their grandmother Naseba. According to information cited by Mirza from local sources, all five were killed when an explosive projectile struck their family home.
The statement said preliminary allegations suggested that a Belarusian-developed MM-60 rocket-propelled grenade launcher may have been used. However, it acknowledged that the weapon involved, the circumstances of the incident and those responsible had yet to be independently established.
Calling for an impartial investigation, Mirza said the deaths of the children and their family members demanded accountability and international scrutiny.
The appeal also cited allegations by senior Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) members Umer Nazir Kashmiri, Mujtaba Farooqi and Imtiaz Aslam, who have claimed that more than 100 young people have been killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested or detained in PoJK since June 5.
According to Mirza’s statement, the Kashmiri said the committee’s movement had continued for around three-and-a-half years, seeking democratic, economic and human rights through peaceful means. He also claimed that the committee had approached the United Nations and governments of several countries, including Türkiye, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Canada and Switzerland, seeking international attention to the situation.
The appeal further cited Kashmiri’s allegations that Pakistani military and paramilitary Rangers personnel had surrounded parts of PoJK, occupied key entry points, erected barricades and restricted civilian movement. He also claimed that supplies of essential food and medicines had previously been obstructed, raising concerns about access to basic necessities.
Mirza’s statement additionally referred to reports of drones operating over parts of Poonch and Bagh and alleged sniper fire targeting peaceful protesters. It called for independent verification of these reports and of the alleged deployment of military-grade weapons in populated civilian areas.
He called for an independent international investigation into the reported deaths, protection for peaceful protesters, unrestricted humanitarian access, the release of those arbitrarily detained and disclosure of detainees’ whereabouts. He also urged the United Nations human rights mechanisms, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and foreign governments to take urgent action.
In his appeal, Mirza warned that failure to address the allegations could lead to further civilian casualties and a deepening humanitarian crisis. He said the reported deaths of the five family members must not be reduced to conflict statistics, calling for justice, accountability and protection of civilians. (ANI)