Brussels [Belgium], September 29 (ANI): The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has issued an urgent international appeal following the shutdown of internet and phone services across Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. According to the UKPNP press release, this communication blackout is a deliberate move by Pakistani authorities to silence peaceful dissent and isolate the region from the global community amid growing unrest. According to the statement, the blackout coincides with a major protest movement led by the Joint Awami Action Committee, which has called for a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike on Monday. Protesters are demanding basic rights, economic justice, and an end to decades of political repression.

UKPNP warns that Pakistan has deployed paramilitary Rangers and additional security forces across the region, raising serious concerns about the possibility of a violent crackdown. The party drew attention to the tragic events of 13 May 2024, when Rangers opened fire on peaceful demonstrators in Muzaffarabad, killing three civilians. That incident, they noted, remains uninvestigated and exemplifies the systemic impunity enjoyed by security forces operating in the area. The party emphasised that the ongoing situation is not just a local protest, but part of a long-standing humanitarian and political crisis stemming from the unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir, a conflict that has remained on the UN agenda since 1948.

In its appeal, UKPNP called upon the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, China, Russia, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and other international actors to intervene immediately to prevent further violence. The party stressed that the people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan continue to be denied their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of movement, ownership of local resources, and the right to self-governance. UKPNP concluded by urging the international community to listen to the voices of the people of PoJK and PoGB, who have waited since 1947 for justice and dignity. (ANI)