UKPNP slams 'collective punishment' in POJK amid power, net crisis

The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) has strongly condemned the ongoing power crisis, communication disruptions, and collective punishment in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). The party's spokesperson, Sardar Nasir Aziz Khan, released the statement on his X account. The people of PoJK are enduring hours-long load shedding, dangerously low electricity voltage, and frequent collapse of internet and mobile networks. Daily life has become unbearable, and UKPNP stands in full solidarity with the shutter-down strike currently underway in Rawalakot, Poonch, and surrounding areas", the statement said.

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Unchecked Authority Blamed for Crisis

The statement emphasised that the ongoing crisis is a consequence of unchecked authority. "For over two and a half years, citizens have peacefully protested for their basic rights under the banner of the Joint Awami Action Committee. Yet, local authorities and Islamabad continue to exercise absolute power without accountability, disregarding democratic demands," it added.

History of Protests and Broken Promises

The party recalled the history of resistance in the region, stating, "Massive protests, shutter-down strikes, and wheel-jam actions forced the Government of Pakistan and PoJK administration to sign agreements promising electricity at production cost and essential infrastructure. The authorities suffered public humiliation due to the scale and inclusivity of these protests. However, instead of honouring these commitments, brutal force was used against peaceful protesters, three people were killed in Muzaffarabad in May 2024, followed by twelve deaths in October 2025. Fabricated stories and propaganda were spread to discredit the rights movement."

Collective Punishment and Renewed Demands

Despite these attempts to suppress the movement, the party asserted, "Islamabad and Muzaffarabad were ultimately compelled to concede to several demands of the Joint Awami Action Committee. Yet today, the people are being collectively punished through prolonged power cuts, dangerously low voltage electricity, deliberately slowed internet speeds, and failing mobile networks. Millions of Kashmiris living abroad struggle to communicate with their families, many unable to contact loved ones for hours or days."

UKPNP demanded that all agreements made under public pressure be fully implemented without delay. The party also stressed that such punitive measures will not silence the people. "The legitimate demands of the residents of PoJK must be respected, and their basic rights upheld," UKPNP stated.

Call for International Intervention

Highlighting the international dimension, the party noted: "Reports by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in 2018 and 2019, along with the European Parliament's 2007 report on Kashmir, clearly document serious human rights concerns in the region. These findings must not remain symbolic. Pakistan must respect human rights in practice and ensure the provision of essential infrastructure and basic services to the people of PoJK and Gilgit Baltistan."

The UKPNP called on the international community, including the United Nations, the European Parliament, the United States, and the United Kingdom, to take urgent notice of the punitive restrictions and collective punishments imposed on the people of PoJK. "Continued silence will only embolden repression and deepen the humanitarian and political crisis facing the region," the statement concluded. (ANI)