India on Tuesday strongly criticised Pakistan over the ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), accusing Islamabad of decades of systemic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights and administrative oppression in the region.
Responding to the developments, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the unrest in PoJK was the result of Pakistan’s long-standing policies in the territory under its “illegal and forcible occupation.”
“The ongoing protests in PoJK are a direct consequence of Pakistan’s decades-long systemic exploitation, denial of fundamental rights, and administrative oppression in areas under its illegal and forcible occupation,” the MEA said in a statement.
The ministry alleged that instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of the local population, the Pakistani authorities had resorted to a harsh crackdown.
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‘Expect Int Community To Hold Pakistan Accountable’
According to the MEA, Pakistan has responded with “extreme police brutality”, including against women and children, while also blocking essential supplies such as food and medicines, imposing internet blackouts and using lethal force against unarmed civilians, leading to fatalities.
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The ministry urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for what it described as serious human rights violations.
“We expect the international community to hold Pakistan fully accountable for these egregious abuses and misdeeds,” the MEA said.
PoJK Protest
The statement comes amid continuing protests in PoJK, where demonstrators have been raising concerns over issues including governance, rights and administrative policies.
The ongoing 35-day rebellion against the Pakistani government and military in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has taken a new turn. On Sunday, protestors in PoK openly debunked Pakistan’s long-standing narrative of “Kashmir’s liberation,” calling it a ‘Churan’ (hollow sales pitch) that will no longer find buyers in the region.
Speaking at the Eidgah ground in Rawalakot — the epicentre of the rebellion — Sardar Javed Iqbal, a prominent member of the Awami Action Committee, stated: “For 78 years, we were fed with the ‘Churan’ that they (Pakistan) would liberate Srinagar. That Churan (Narrative) has grown old. Sell this talk to those who want to travel from Rawalakot to Rawalpindi…the people of Kashmir are no longer buying it.”
With regional elections scheduled for July 27, public resentment against pro-Pakistan political parties has visibly escalated during the campaign trails. On Saturday night, a vehicle belonging to the convoy of a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate in Kotli was stopped and set on fire by protesters. On Sunday, a large group of women and senior citizens blocked the convoy of Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin, the regional chief of the PPP in PoK, to stage a protest.
