At least four policemen were killed and 20 were injured after fierce clashes broke
out with supporters of the newly proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee
(JAAC) in Rawlakot, police said on Sunday. POJK police chief Liaqat Ali Malik has
said that four police personnel were killed when demonstrators “attacked”
Combined Military Hospital (CMH) on Sunday.
Malik claimed the policemen were shot by firearms and shotguns, terming it
outright “terrorism” and vowing not to compromise on the safety of citizens and
public peace.
According to some reports, hundreds of people, deemed to be supporters of JAAC,
have been arrested by the police and other security forces over the last three days
in a bid to thwart the June 9 protests all over POJK. At a number of places, the
Army fired upon the demonstrators though no reports regarding casualties are
available right now.
Tensions flared in Rawalakot over the death of a trader shot by the Pakistan
Army during a confrontation on Friday night. Initially, his family had announced
his funeral would be held on Saturday, but they later changed their mind and
brought the body back to the CMH for post mortem, and deferred the funeral
until Sunday
The body was shifted to the hospital’s mortuary but a post mortem was not
conducted. As the news spread, dozens of JAAC supporters started gathering near
CMH. According to witnesses, when a police party arrived to disperse the
protesters, a charged group of demonstrators confronted them. Riot police then
resorted to baton charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the group.
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