In response to growing instability in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir (PoK), India has called on the international community to hold Pakistan responsible for what it termed as ghastly human rights abuses in the area. During one weekly media briefing, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Randhir Jaiswal, pointed out the current disturbance as a direct consequence of the oppressive policies of Pakistan and the policy of systematic resource exploitation in the lands occupied by it illegally.
“We have heard that there have been mass protests in various parts of the Pakistani-held Jammu & Kashmir, and atrocities against innocent citizens by the Pakistani forces have been committed. Such developments are a logical extension of the oppressive policy of Pakistan and the forced expropriation of the resources of these areas.” On Thursday, Jaiswal said that Pakistan needs to be brought to book over its grotesque human rights abuses.
In the last week, there have been huge protests and civil unrest in several parts of PoK, such as Rawalakot, Mirpur, Kotli, Neelum Valley, and others. There were reports of shutdown attacks and wheel-jam protests with thousands of protestors taking to the streets. The size of these protests became the biggest mobilization of people in a long time in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Awami Action Committee (AAC) has led the demonstrations and is directed against the Shehbaz Sharif government. It is reported that the demonstrations have already claimed at least ten lives, and the government has blocked internet and mobile phone services in the region, trying to contain the riots.
Denial of fundamental rights has been mentioned as one of the central grievances by the AAC, which requires further political reforms in the region. Some of their requirements include the removal of 12 legislative seats in the PoK assembly that were allocated to the Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan. According to the committee, these must be taken to guarantee that they truly represent and protect the fundamental rights of the people under the occupation of Pakistan.
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