India squarely blamed Pakistan’s oppressive approach and systemic plundering of resources for the unrest that has gripped Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, leaving 12 dead and over 150 injured.
In its first remarks on the fresh turmoil in its neighbourhood, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) condemned the brutality by Pakistani forces on civilians in POK and reinforced its claim that the territory was under Pakistan’s “forcible” and “illegal occupation”.
‘PAKISTAN MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE’
“We have seen reports of protests in several areas of Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, including brutalities by Pakistani forces on innocent civilians,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
He also urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for the human rights violations in POK, which is witnessing one of its biggest unrest in decades.
“We believe that it is a natural consequence of Pakistan’s oppressive approach and systemic plundering of resources from these territories… Pakistan must be held accountable for its horrific human rights violations,” he further said.
Over the years, India has firmly maintained that POK was an integral part of the country. Following the hostilities in May, India has stated that future discussions with Pakistan would only be about the return of the territory.
Pakistan, being Pakistan, has indirectly pointed its fingers at India for the current unrest. On Thursday, Pakistani minister Ahsan Iqbal urged the protesters in POK to avoid lighting a fire that could “benefit our enemy country”.
UNREST IN POK ENTERS DAY 5
The region has witnessed pitched battles between security forces and protesters since September 29 when the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) took out a march over the government’s failure to meet 38 key demands.
Apart from political reforms and subsidies on flour and electricity, a key demand of the agitators is the abolition of 12 assembly seats in POK reserved for Kashmiri refugees.
Since then, the protest has turned into a broader agitation against excesses by the Pakistani military, with agitations also spreading into Pakistani cities like Islamabad and Karachi.
On Friday, an uneasy calm hung over the region as a negotiating committee, set up by the Shehbaz Sharif government, arrived in Muzaffarabad to hold talks with the JKJAAC and its leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir.
The unrest has brought life in several POK districts to a grinding halt, with markets and shops remaining shut for the fifth consecutive day. Mobile and internet services have also been shut.