- Nawaz Sharif desires PoK premiership to personally oversee development.
- PoK faces widespread protests regarding long-standing economic grievances.
- Unrest continues ahead of elections, claiming 30 lives.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said he wants to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), expressing a desire to personally oversee the region’s development as it remains gripped by widespread anti-government protests.
Sharif, the elder brother of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, made the remarks during an election rally in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, earlier this week.
Calling PoK his “second home”, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo said his ancestral roots trace back to Kashmir and that he would seek the region’s top political post if his party emerged victorious in the upcoming elections.
‘PoK Is My Second Home’: Nawaz Sharif
Addressing supporters at the rally, Sharif said he wanted to play a direct role in the development of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“It is my second home. My ancestors migrated from Kashmir,” he said.
Sharif added that if the PML-N won the elections, he would request his brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to appoint him as the Prime Minister of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
“If my party wins, I will ask PM Shehbaz Sharif to make me the prime minister of Kashmir (PoK) so that I can personally oversee the region’s development,” he said.
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PoK Continues to Witness Widespread Unrest
Sharif’s remarks come at a time when Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is witnessing sustained anti-government protests, violent clashes and an intensified security crackdown across several districts.
Major demonstrations have been reported in Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Mirpur and Sudhnoti, with protesters accusing the authorities of failing to address longstanding economic grievances.
The movement is being led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has been demanding subsidised wheat, lower electricity tariffs, royalty from regional hydroelectric projects and an end to what it describes as excessive privileges enjoyed by government officials and the political elite.
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Protests Continue Ahead of Polls
The developments come ahead of elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, scheduled to be held between July 27 and August 10, where the PML-N is contesting against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), its ally in Pakistan’s federal government.
The unrest has claimed 30 lives so far, adding to tensions in the region.
Last week, the JKJAAC temporarily suspended its planned march until July 21, saying it was giving the Pakistani government a final opportunity to address its demands. However, the group has since announced that its planned long march towards Muzaffarabad will resume this week while sit-in protests across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir continue.
