A prominent political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Amjad Ayub Mirza, has denounced Pakistan for decades of exploitation, neglect, and systematic suppression in the region, calling October 22 a “day of grief and mourning” for PoJK.
Speaking in a video message, Mirza recounted the brutal 1947 invasion when Pakistan’s forces and tribal militias attacked PoJK, killing more than 100,000 civilians and displacing countless families.
He said that on this day, “Pakistan’s army destroyed families, massacred people in the name of religion, and captured our land, which it still occupies illegally.”
Referring to the massacre at Ali Baig near Mirpur, Mirza highlighted that at least 20,000 Hindus and Sikhs were butchered between November 1947 and March 1948.
According to Mirza, the Pakistani-occupied territories of PoJK and Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) have since remained deprived of basic infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
“There are no MRI or CT scan machines, no vaccines for snake or dog bites, and no proper rural health centres,” he said, adding that poor road conditions in mountainous regions routinely lead to fatal accidents.
He further revealed that more than 800 schools damaged during the 2005 earthquake remain unrepaired even after two decades, forcing children to study under open skies.
Widespread unemployment, he said, drives young people to seek work abroad after taking vocational training as welders, electricians, or plumbers.
Mirza also condemned Pakistan’s political and religious control over PoJK, explaining that candidates are forced to sign an oath supporting Pakistan’s ideology and its two-nation theory before contesting elections or applying for government jobs.
“There are no political or civil rights,” he said. “If you protest, you are shot.”
Concluding his statement, Mirza urged India to recognise the growing frustration among the people of PoJK.
“After 78 years of occupation and denial of rights, the people now want freedom from Pakistan. It is time India takes serious note of their struggle,” he asserted.