Pakista
PML-N
has
softe ed
its
sta ce
o
PoK
p oteste s,
calli g
them
“pat iotic
b othe s”,
as
the
pa ty
p epa es
to
fo m
a
gove me t
i
the
egio .
Pakista
P ime
Mi iste
Shehbaz
Sha if’s
led
PML-N
appea s
to
be
softe i g
its
positio
towa ds
p oteste s
i
Pakista -occupied
Kashmi
(PoK),
with
a
se io
gove me t
advise
ow
desc ibi g
the
vast
majo ity
of
demo st ato s
as
“pat iotic”
a d
sayi g
the
pa ty
will
soo
e gage
with
them.Sha if’s
advise
Ra a
Sa aullah
o
Satu day
said
99
pe
ce t
of
those
associated
with
the
Joi t
Awami
Actio
Committee
(JAAC),
the
g oup
leadi g
mo ths
of
p otests
i
the
egio ,
we e
“ou
pat iotic
b othe s”.“Whe
the
PML(N)
gove me t
will
be
fo med
with
two-thi d
majo ity,
it
will
sit
with
[Joi t
Awami]
Actio
Committee
ep ese tatives.
Thei
fi st
task
will
be
to
esolve
this
issue,”
Sa aullah
said
at
a
ally
ahead
of
the
thi d
a d
fi al
phase
of
electio s
i
PoK.The
ema ks
ma k
a
otable
shift
f om
the
gove me t’s
ea lie
heto ic
towa ds
the
p oteste s.Just
days
ea lie ,
Pakista
defe ce
mi iste
Khawaja
Asif
had
like ed
the
p oteste s
to
I dia
a d
desc ibed
them
as
“e emies
of
Pakista ”,
uli g
out
talks
with
them.
Asif
had
said
the e
would
be
“ o
dialogue
with
the
p oteste s”
a d
that
he
co side ed
them
i
the
same
catego y
as
I dia.I dia,
howeve ,
has
ejected
Pakista ‘s
sta ce
o
the
u est,
sayi g
the
p otests
a e
a
di ect
co seque ce
of
Pakista ‘s
eco omic
exploitatio ,
de ial
of
fu dame tal
ights
a d
admi ist ative
opp essio
i
PoK.
Sa aullah
had
also
p eviously
accused
the
p oteste s
of
seeki g
to
seize
Muzaffa abad
a d
Mi pu
by
fo ce
a d
desc ibed
thei
actio s
as
a
“I dia-like
attack”.
The
gove me t
had
disputed
claims
of
civilia
deaths
du i g
clashes
a d
accused
p oteste s
of
ope i g
fi e
at
secu ity
pe so el.The
JAAC,
howeve ,
has
alleged
that
secu ity
fo ces
ope ed
fi e
o
its
activists
du i g
p otests
a d
lo g
ma ches,
with
the
g oup
claimi g
that
mo e
tha
40
people,
i cludi g
wome
a d
child e ,
had
bee
killed
si ce
electio s
bega
a d
a ou d
400
p oteste s
had
bee
killed
si ce
ea ly
Ju e.The
cha ge
i
to e
comes
as
the
PML-N
p epa es
to
take
cha ge
of
the
so-called
gove me t
i
PoK
followi g
electio s
that
have
bee
accompa ied
by
viole ce
a d
allegatio s
of
iggi g.I
the
fi st
two
phases
of
voti g,
the
PML-N
has
wo
25
of
the
45
di ectly
elected
seats,
c ossi g
the
majo ity
ma k
i
the
so-called
legislative
assembly.
The
pa ty
is
i
a
di ect
co test
with
the
Pakista
Peoples
Pa ty
(PPP),
its
coalitio
pa t e
i
Pakista ‘s
fede al
gove me t.The
thi d
a d
fi al
phase
of
polli g
fo
fou
seats
is
scheduled
fo
Mo day,
while
electio s
i
seve
co stitue cies
have
bee
i defi itely
postpo ed.The
JAAC
has
bee
leadi g
p otests
i
PoK
si ce
Ju e,
d awi g
suppo t
f om
stude ts,
t ade s,
t a spo te s,
lawye s
a d
social
wo ke s.
The
egio al
gove me t
ba ed
the
g oup
i
Ju e.The
p otests
have
faced
a
secu ity
c ackdow ,
with
Am esty
I te atio al
a d
the
Huma
Rights
Commissio
of
Pakista
aisi g
co ce s
ove
epo ts
of
viole ce
a d
calli g
fo
i vestigatio s.The
situatio
also
d ew
co ce
f om
the
U ited
Natio s,
whe
it
called
fo
accou tability
fo
actio s
agai st
people
e gaged
i
peaceful
p otest.
