Supporters of the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a movement calling for economic and governance reforms, have continued protests despite being banned under anti-terrorism laws last week.
Officials initially reported seven deaths on Monday, including three civilians and four police officers, with dozens of people wounded. The latest count showed the number of fatalities had increased to 20.

Local government higher education minister Malik Zafar told AFP that clashes in his constituency of Kotli had resulted in seven deaths during the week.
Commissioner Sardar Waheed, the senior civilian official in Rawalakot, said 12 people had been killed, including four police officers.

A senior police official in Mirpur, Khurram Iqbal, said one protester died during clashes with police on Wednesday.

Several shops in Muzaffarabad have remained closed as businesses joined calls for a strike in support of the JAAC, while mobile internet services have been largely unavailable, according to an AFP journalist in the area.
JAAC members have rejected the designation of the group as a terrorist organisation, describing the move as suppression and saying their protests are aimed at securing economic and political rights.

The latest unrest follows violent clashes in the Himalayan region in September, when nine people were confirmed killed during protests led by the JAAC.

Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but has been divided between the two countries since the end of British rule. The territory remains highly sensitive, with decades of tensions and conflicts between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

In a formal communication dated 13 August 2025, UN Special Rapporteurs requested clarification from Islamabad following reports concerning the deaths of journalist and human rights advocate Abdul Latif Baloch and his son, Saif Baloch, as well as the arrest of civil society coordinator Gulzar Dost.

The experts said they were deeply concerned by allegations that the killings were linked to reprisals against Mr Baloch’s family. They called on authorities to ensure an “independent, impartial and transparent” investigation, warning that accountability was essential.

According to the letter, Abdul Latif Baloch was shot dead by unidentified armed men at his home in Mashkay, Awaran district, on 24 May 2025. His son Saif was reportedly detained by Pakistani military personnel on 28 February and subsequently disappeared. His body was recovered on 26 March, prompting fears of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial execution.

The communication also referred to Mr Baloch’s earlier detention and alleged torture by security agencies. It noted that his brother, Rasheed Ali Baloch, died in custody in 2011 – raising what the UN experts called a pattern of human rights abuses linked to security operations in Balochistan.

Concerns were also raised over the case of activist Gulzar Dost, coordinator of the Turbat Civil Society Forum. He was taken from his home on 6 July 2025 and charged under anti-terrorism laws despite the lack of an arrest warrant, the letter said. He was released on bail on 1 August, but UN experts argued the case illustrated how anti-terror legislation was being used to target human rights defenders.

The letter set out seven specific questions for the Pakistani government, including updates on investigations into the deaths of Abdul Latif, Saif and Rasheed Baloch, and clarification of the legal basis for Mr Dost’s arrest.

Pakistan, the experts said, remains bound by international obligations to safeguard the right to life, protect freedom of expression and ensure the safety of those defending human rights. They urged authorities to act swiftly in addressing the allegations.