00:08These are Pakistani students coming out in solidarity with protesters in Pakistan-occupied
00:13Kashmir, and here's what triggered it.
00:19On July 27th, as the first phase of regional elections began, violence broke out between
00:24protesters and security forces in Rawalakot, P.O.K.
00:27The Joint Awami Action Committee, the group leading the protest, says around 20 people
00:32were killed and dozens injured after security forces opened fire.
00:36Authorities dispute the scale of the casualties and say security personnel were also attacked.
00:46And with mobile internet suspended and independent access to the region restricted, it is difficult
00:51to verify exactly what happened.
00:53But why were people protesting in the first place?
00:56P.O.K. is currently voting in regional elections, but 12 of the 45 elected seats are reserved
01:06for Kashmiri refugees living in other parts of Pakistan.
01:09Locals say this gives Islamabad too much control over their assembly and leaves the people living
01:14there with less of a say.
01:15There's also anger over unemployment, inflation, electricity shortages and the alleged exploitation
01:21of the region's resources.
01:23On June 5th, after talks with the government broke down, JAAC was banned under anti-terrorism
01:28laws.
01:28Its members were arrested, mobile internet was suspended and protest turns deadly.
01:34JAAC later boycotted the regional elections.
01:37Ahead of voting, Punjab sent 14,000 police personnel to help secure the region.
01:41Pakistani authorities allege that armed protesters and militants entered the demonstration.
01:46JAAC says its movement was peaceful and that protesters were met with bullets.
01:50The elections are being held in three phases with voting scheduled to continue until August
01:5410th.
01:54So this is no longer only a dispute over 12 assembly seats.
01:58It has become a much larger fight over political representation, state power and who gets to
02:03decide P.O.K.'s future.
Comments