Pakistani forces accused of using drones and live ammunition against protesters

In a statement released on X, Sardar Nasir Aijaz Khan, spokesperson for the United Kashmir Peoples National Party (UKPNP), alleged that Pakistani paramilitary units have deployed advanced tactical drones and fired live rounds at unarmed civilians in Pakistan‑occupied Kashmir. The attack, he says, has resulted in at least 24 deaths and left hundreds more gravely wounded.

The UKPNP, alongside the Swiss Kashmir Human Rights Commission, filed an emergency petition on June 26 with UN Secretary‑General Antonio Guterres and the UN Human Rights Council, demanding a rapid investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings and the use of lethal force against peaceful protestors.

According to the party, the Pakistani administration has also imposed a complete communications shutdown and sealed the region’s borders, restricting the entry of essential supplies such as food, wheat flour, and medicines. The blockade, they argue, threatens the lives of millions and hampers medical treatment for the injured, who fear arrest due to heavy paramilitary presence in local hospitals.

The UKPNP calls on the United Nations, international observers, human‑rights organisations and foreign media to grant unrestricted access to the affected districts, especially Rawalakot, to verify the claims and to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is upheld.