What caused deadly protests in Paskistan-administered Kashmir? | Global News Podcast
As Pakistan tries to position itself as a peace broker and diplomatic power in the Middle East, it faces violence and political turmoil at home
As Pakistan tries to position itself as a peace broker and diplomatic power in the Middle East, it faces violence and political turmoil at home. Regional elections in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have been marred by deadly clashes between protestors and security forces. A banned activist movement - the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) - called the protests to oppose the practice of reserving 12 legislative seats for candidates from India-administered Kashmir. Meanwhile, an attack on a police checkpoint in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghanistan border, has reportedly killed at least 11 officers.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. There has been a recent surge in violence along the border in recent months, as security forces battle the Pakistan Taliban or TTP. And in Balochistan, militants groups are attacking economic targets, in response to claims that the Pakistani government has exploited resources and violated human rights. Activists and rights groups say thousands of ethnic Baloch people have disappeared over the past two decades, alleging that many were tortured and killed as part of the security forces' operation against the long-running separatist insurgency.
The government denies the charges. Pakistan is still trying to act as mediator between the US and Iran, keeping lines of communication open with Tehran and the Trump administration. We speak to the BBC's South Asia specialist Anbarasan Ethirajan. New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You
can listen here And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #bbcnews 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir 02:46 India and Pakistan 04:12 Violence on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border 05:57 Balochistan insurgency 08:12 Pakistan defence deals in the Gulf
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