Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan) COI Compilation 7 May 2012 ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author. ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Pakistan-administered Kashmir (Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan) COI Compilation 7 May 2012 This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared on the basis of publicly available information, studies and commentaries within a specified time frame. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord ACCORD is co-funded by the European Refugee Fund, UNHCR and the Ministry of the Interior, Austria. Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 1 Background Information .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Government structures and political system ............................................................................................... 7 1.1.1 Azad Kashmir (AJK Legislative Assembly, Prime Minister, President) ................................ 7 1.1.2 Gilgit-Baltistan (Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister, Governor) ....... 8 1.2 Formal relation and distribution of powers between Pakistan’s federal government and the government structures in Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan ............................................................ 9 1.2.1 Azad Kashmir ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.2.2 Gilgit-Baltistan .................................................................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Overview of the main political parties ......................................................................................................... 12 1.3.1 Azad Kashmir .................................................................................................................................................... 13 1.3.2 Gilgit-Baltistan ...................................................................................................................................................17 1.4 The judicial system ................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.4.1 Azad Kashmir .................................................................................................................................................... 18 1.4.2 Gilgit-Baltistan .................................................................................................................................................. 19 1.5 Characteristics of government and state institutions in Kashmir ................................................. 20 1.6 Role of the military in the governance of Kashmir ................................................................................ 21 1.7 Governance of the border between Pakistan-administered Kashmir and India- administered Kashmir (“Line of Control”) ............................................................................................................. 21 1.7.1 Ability of civilians to move across the Line of Control .............................................................. 22 2 Main Political Developments .................................................................................................................................. 25 2.1 Talks and confidence-building measures between Pakistan and India in relation to Kashmir; ceasefire violations ....................................................................................................................................... 25 2.1.1 Negotiations between Pakistan and India and confidence-building measures ............ 25 2.1.2 Ceasefire violations ...................................................................................................................................... 28 2.2 Elections in Gilgit-Baltistan, November 2009 .......................................................................................... 29 2.3 Elections in Azad Kashmir, 26 June 2011 .................................................................................................... 32 2.4 Demands for separatism ...................................................................................................................................... 35 3 Security Situation ......................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.1 Level of militarization and insurgency in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ............................... 37 3.1.1 Militarization ..................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.1.2 Insurgency .......................................................................................................................................................... 37 3.2 Agents of violence ................................................................................................................................................... 40 3.3 Terrorist attacks and anti-terrorist operations ........................................................................................ 41 3.4 Level and type of human rights violations ................................................................................................. 42 3.4.1 Extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest, detention, disappearances, torture .................. 42 3.4.2 Civilian casualties ........................................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.3 Extortion, exploitation, land confiscation, arbitrary taxation, forced relocation, human trafficking ......................................................................................................................................................... 43 2 4 Security forces, military, armed groups .......................................................................................................... 44 4.1 Security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ................................................................................. 44 4.1.1 Police ..................................................................................................................................................................... 44 4.1.2 Armed forces .................................................................................................................................................... 45 4.1.3 Paramilitary forces ........................................................................................................................................ 46 4.1.4 Intelligence services ...................................................................................................................................... 46 4.2 Non-state armed groups ..................................................................................................................................... 47 4.2.1 Hizbul Mujahideen ......................................................................................................................................... 48 4.2.2 Lashkar-e-Taiba .............................................................................................................................................. 48 4.2.3 Jaish-e-Mohammad....................................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.4 Harkat-ul-Mujahideen ................................................................................................................................. 49 4.2.5 Tehrik ul-Mujahideen ................................................................................................................................... 50 4.2.6 Hizb ul-Momineen .........................................................................................................................................