Islamabad, Oct 10 (IANS) The people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) deserve the same rights and protections that the world calls for Ukrainians, Palestinians, or any other oppressed people, as their blood is no less valuable and their cries no less urgent—they remain unheard, a report said on Friday.
“The Valleys of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), often described as idyllic and scenic, are now drenched in blood. For over a week, protests led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) have engulfed Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Dheerkot, and Mirpur, demanding nothing more radical than affordable electricity, subsidised flour, and dignity,” Michael Arizanti, writer and expert on Middle East Affairs, wrote in the ‘Times of Israel’.
Citing grim reports from the ground he said, at least 10 civilians, including young men in PoK’s Dhirkot and Muzaffarabad have been shot dead by Pakistani forces, while over 100 were injured by live ammunition, tear gas, and batons.
“Paramilitary troops from mainland Pakistan—outsiders in every sense—have been deployed against Kashmiri Muslims protesting the very exploitation that sustains Pakistan’s power grid and fills its treasury,” the report stated.
“Shaukat Nawaz Mir, the JAAC leader, has shown bullets allegedly fired by police—hard evidence of state-sanctioned violence against unarmed civilians. Yet, despite the killings, despite entire towns paralysed under curfew, despite 4.5 million people cut off from the outside world by a deliberate communications blackout, the story of PoK has barely penetrated global consciousness,” it added.
Arizanti highlighted that the demands for rights in PoK are answered with repression. On the economic front, it said the injustice is staggering. While the region generates 30 per cent of Pakistan’s hydroelectricity, residents pay some of the highest electricity tariffs in the entire country—Rs 40-50 per unit, compared to production costs of Rs 4-7.
“Pakistan owes the region at least Rs 370 billion in royalties, but instead of repayment, Islamabad sends Rangers and federal police. The cries of Kashmiris under Pakistani repression must not be drowned out simply because their oppressors are seen as allies in Islamabad,” he asserted.
In PoK, it said, people are demanding electricity they can afford, food they can eat, and representation they can trust.
Emphasising how the international community has acted through sanctions, investigations, and accountability measures in Ukraine, Myanmar and Gaza, the expert questioned why PoK is ignored. Arizanti asked whether the Kashmiri blood is worth less or if Pakistani repression is somehow more palatable.
–IANS
scor/as
