Kashmiri diaspora stages protest in Italy, condemns brutalities by Pak forces in PoK

Rome: Thousands of Kashmiri diaspora members staged a protest march in Italy’s Bologna city, condemning the killings of innocent civilians by Pakistani forces in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), amid the escalating unrest in the region.

The protesters raised slogans against the Pakistani forces and expressed solidarity with the civil society group Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC).

Taking to its social media platform X on Monday, the JAAC said that in Italy, Kashmiris staged a strong protest and appealed to the international community to raise their voice against the “genocide” of unarmed civilians by the Pakistani forces.

“Peaceful demonstrators are only demanding their basic rights,” it added.

This protest march comes amid growing demonstrations by Kashmiri diaspora groups across the world, with protesters demanding international intervention over what they described as a brutal crackdown by Pakistani authorities in PoK.

Meanwhile, PoK-based human rights documentation and monitoring body, the Jammu Kashmir Human Rights Observatory (JKHRO), recorded 93 civilian deaths during the escalating unrest in the occupied territory between June 5 and August 5.

Last week, several members of the Kashmiri diaspora staged a protest outside the Pakistani Consulate in Bradford City of the United Kingdom, condemning brutalities by Pakistani forces against peaceful protestors in PoK.

The protesters, including elderly people, women, and children, extended support to JAAC and called for an end to Pakistani security forces’ operations in the region.

They carried placards that read “Pakistan Stop Brutalities,” “Pakistan Stop Killing Kashmiris in Rawalakot,” and “We Stand with Awami Action Committee,” and raised slogans against the Pakistani forces.

Recently, several British parliamentarians expressed grave concern over brutalities by Pakistani forces against civilians as unrest in PoK continued to intensify.

British Labour Party MP Liam Byrne said that reports of live fire being used against peaceful protesters in PoK are “deeply alarming.”

Calling the killing of civilians in PoK a “tragedy,” another British MP, Adnan Hussain, said that any use of excessive or unlawful force by Pakistani authorities must be subject to a full, independent, and transparent investigation.

IANS