Security forces have violently cracked down on protests in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, with several people killed and dozens injured, Amnesty International reported on Tuesday.
The human rights organization reported an internet blackout, mass detentions and deadly violence. Informed sources in the Pakistani capital Islamabad reported growing tensions in Kashmir.
The unrest was triggered by a ban on a local grassroots political movement, which was designated a terrorist group on Friday ahead of planned demonstrations.
The Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) had sought a constitutional change to the composition of the regional parliament of the semi-autonomous province before new elections on July 27. The situation subsequently escalated.
Kashmir has been disputed for decades
The Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed by the nuclear-armed states of India and Pakistan, each of which controls part of the territory.
Since the end of British colonial rule and the partition of British India in 1947, the region has repeatedly been the scene of armed conflict between the two countries.
The current protests are taking place in the Pakistani-controlled part of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
A statement from local police on Monday said at least four members of the security forces had been killed in clashes. Supporters of the JKJAAC had stormed a military hospital, it said.
The figures could not be independently verified at first.
When asked about the protests and the violence on Tuesday, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave no figures.
The internet blackout has meant that little information is reaching the outside world from the region.
Amnesty sharply criticized the conduct of the Pakistani authorities. "The alarming escalation of violence, including deaths of protesters, raises serious questions," Isabelle Lassee, deputy regional director for South Asia, said in a statement.
