Video footage from Rawalakot, a major city in Azad Jammu and Kashmir the Pakistan-administered part of the disputed Kashmir region shows security personnel opening direct fire on unarmed civilians, raising serious questions over the use of force.
The region has seen sustained public protests in recent months over governance, economic, and rights-related demands. The footage emerging from Rawalakot, now circulating widely, appears to show Pakistani forces firing live ammunition in a straight line at unarmed people, with no visible armed threat from the crowd.
Under international law and Pakistani law, the use of live fire against unarmed civilians is strictly regulated and permitted only when there is an imminent threat to life. The video raises concerns that these safeguards were not observed.
The incident has brought the question of authorization to the forefront: Who ordered the use of direct fire against unarmed civilians, and what legal justification was invoked? No uniform grants unrestricted authority over civilian life, and no security objective can justify disproportionate or unlawful force.
Security forces in Azad Kashmir, like elsewhere, are mandated to protect life, maintain order, and manage protests within the bounds of law. The use of direct firing against an unarmed crowd is inconsistent with that mandate.
For the people of Rawalakot, the issue is not only about a single incident, but about the right to peaceful protest and the protection of civilian life in Kashmir.
