The protest group at the centre of the deadly unrest in Pakistan-administered Kashmir denied receiving any backing from India, challenging Islamabad to show evidence for such allegations and insisting its campaign was driven by demands for democratic rights rather than foreign interests.
In an interview with The Independent, SA Khan, a member of the advisory council of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, said his coalition of civil society and political organisations was “not answerable to India” and rejected accusations that it was financed or directed by Delhi.
