Colombo, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Four members of a family, including women and children, were killed in an explosion at a house in Pandi village of Bagh district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), amid escalating political tensions in the region.
According to a report in Sri Lanka-based Daily Mirror, the blast occurred in an area that has witnessed sustained protests and mobilisation by the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The movement initially raised demands for lower electricity tariffs, governance reforms, economic relief and greater accountability.
The JAAC accused Pakistani security forces of targeting Shakhtar Hussain and alleged that a drone was used to deliver the explosive device. It said Hussain’s wife, 11-year-old son, eight-year-old daughter and their grandmother were killed in the explosion.
The committee described the incident as a violation of civilian rights and international humanitarian law and demanded an immediate, transparent and independent investigation. Local police rejected the allegations, claiming that the explosion originated inside the house and alleging that a terrorist group was using civilian homes as operational hideouts.
Tensions between the JAAC and Pakistani authorities have intensified in recent months. In June, the authorities formally banned the committee under anti-terrorism laws.
Earlier this week, the JAAC called on Pakistani authorities to stop firing, what it described as the unnecessary use of force, and actions aimed at intimidating civilian communities. The appeal followed reports that several people, including women and children, were killed and dozens injured after security forces allegedly opened fire and carried out drone strikes against protesters in the Rawalakot region.
“Peaceful participants in the sit-in are not enemies; they are our own people. Firing on civilians, intimidating communities through aerial means, and any unnecessary use of force must cease immediately,” the committee said.
The JAAC also demanded the prompt return of bodies to families, support for those affected, safe medical treatment for the injured and restoration of mobile and internet services in PoK.
It called for an independent, impartial, transparent and time-bound investigation into all deaths, injuries, arrests and allegations of unlawful force, stressing that no allegation should be treated as established fact without verifiable evidence.
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