Protests have been seen in PoK for the last several days. This protest march was taken out under the leadership of Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). During this march, Pakistani Army opened fire on the protesters. In which 14 people were claimed dead. Now regarding this protest, a controversial statement of Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif regarding India has come to light. Defending the action of Pakistani Army, he said that the people who took to the streets against Islamabad are as enemies as India for them. His statement has further increased the already ongoing political tension in PoK.
What did Pak Defense Minister Khawaja Asif say?
In an interview given to a local TV channel, Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif defended the government’s action and said that he does not see any difference between the people protesting in PoK and India. He said, “I consider the protesters equal to India and consider them as enemies like India.”
Why are protests happening in POK?
On Tuesday, thousands of JAAC supporters marched from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad. The main demand of the protesters is to abolish the 12 assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees. JAAC alleges that due to the current system, the political rights of local residents of PoK are being weakened and Islamabad-based political parties influence the formation of the region’s government. The protesters say that only the people living there should get the right to elect the assembly of PoK.
What do the Pakistani government and protesters claim?
JAAC alleged that security forces opened fire without any provocation during a peaceful march. On the other hand, the Pakistan government claims that the protesters were armed with modern weapons and first attacked the security forces, after which retaliatory action had to be taken.
Since when has the tension continued in POK?
Protests have been going on in PoK for several weeks. According to reports, more than 80 people have been claimed dead in the agitation that started on June 5 and the violent incidents that followed. Even before the recent incidents, about 40 people had already lost their lives, including 34 protesters and 6 security personnel.
This entire controversy deepened when Pakistan proceeded with the process of the first phase of assembly elections in PoK. Opposition parties made allegations of rigging in the elections. There were clashes at many places and allegations of tampering and looting of ballot boxes also came to light. Despite heavy security arrangements, the electoral process was mired in controversies.
What did India say?
India also reacted strongly to these developments. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the elections being held in PoK are an attempt to legitimize Pakistan’s illegal occupation. He said, “The current sham electoral process is merely an attempt by Pakistan to conceal its illegal occupation and its grave human rights violations in the region.”
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