Security personnel cordon off a street during a protest by demonstrators of the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

India on May 17 said the protests witnessed in several parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are a “natural consequence” of Islamabad’s continued policy of systemic plundering of resources from the region that remains under its “forcible and illegal” occupation.

India also asserted that the entire Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and shall always remain integral parts of India”.

Also read: The recent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir | Explained

Violent protests erupted in PoK over rising costs of food, fuel and essential utilities as Pakistan reels under a severe economic crisis.

“We have seen reports on protests in several areas of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing.

He was responding to a question on the protests in PoK.

“We believe that it is a natural consequence of Pakistan’s continued policy of systemic plundering of resources from these territories which remain under its forcible and illegal occupation,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

“Such exploitative policies deny the local people, rights over their own resources and the benefits thereof,” he said.

“We reiterate that the entire Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are and shall always remain integral parts of India,” he added.

Two days ago, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar asserted that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was, is and will always be part of India.

“I have no doubt in my own mind that someone living in PoK is comparing their situation with someone actually living in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that how is it that people today are actually progressing there,” he said.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India will never give up its claim of PoK but it won’t have to capture it with force because its people, on their own, would want to be part of India after seeing the development in Kashmir.

“I think India will not have to do anything. The way the ground situation has changed in Jammu and Kashmir, the way the region is witnessing economic progress and the way peace has returned there, I think demands will emerge from people of PoK that they should merge with India,” he said.

“We will not have to use force to take PoK as people would say that we must be merged with India. Such demands are now coming,” he said.

The defence minister asserted that “PoK was, is, and will remain ours”.

At least three people were killed and six others injured when security forces opened fire on protesters during clashes with paramilitary Rangers in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad which has been rocked by protests against high prices of wheat flour and inflated electricity bills, a media report said on May 14

The paramilitary Rangers, which were called in to maintain law and order in the disputed region, came under attack while moving out of the region, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Instead of exiting via Brarkot, the village bordering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the 19-vehicle convoy, including five trucks, chose to exit the region from Kohala, it said.

As the convoy reached Muzaffarabad in a “charged atmosphere”, it was pelted with rocks near Shorran da Nakka village, to which they responded with teargas and firing, the report said.

After entering the city through the Western Bypass, the Rangers were welcomed with rocks again, prompting them to use teargas and bullets. The shelling was so intense that the entire neighbourhood reeled from it, the report said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on May 13 approved a Pakistani rupee 23 billion subsidy for immediate release to the region after the negotiations between the protesters and the regional Government ended in a deadlock.

However, the Government’s decision to dole out the subsidy failed to pacify the region, the report said.

The disputed region also witnessed clashes on May 11 between the police and activists of a rights movement, leaving at least one police officer dead and injuring over 100 people, mostly Policemen. A complete strike has also been observed in the territory since May 10, bringing life to a halt.

Shortly before the violence, Prime Minister Sharif and the disputed region’s ‘Prime Minister’ Anwarul Haq after a meeting had approved the release of Pakistani Rs 23 billion for the region on account of power and wheat subsidies.

The subsidised rate for 40kg flour will be Pakistani Rs 2,000, down from Pakistani Rs 3,100. The electricity tariff was reduced to Pakistani Rs 3, Rs 5 and Rs 6 per unit for up to 100, 300, and more than 300 units, respectively, the Dawn reported.

The protest is led by the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which has traders at the forefront in most parts of the region, who have been seeking the provision of electricity as per hydropower generation cost in the region, subsidised wheat flour and an end to the privileges of the elite class.

A long march led by the JAAC left for Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, on May 13 as the wheel-jam strike entered its fourth day.

The movement announced its march on Muzaffarabad after the talks between the JAAC core committee and Chief Secretary of the region Dawood Bareach ended in a stalemate.

Expressing deep concern over the violent clashes between the Police and the protesters, Prime Minister Sharif on May 12 said that there should be “absolutely no tolerance for taking the law into one’s own hands”.

“I urge all parties to resort to a peaceful course of action for resolution of their demands. Despite the best efforts of detractors, the matter will hopefully be settled soon,” he said.

As part of his efforts to calm down tensions, President Asif Ali Zardari urged all the stakeholders to exercise restraint and resolve the issues through dialogue and mutual consultation.

Srinagar/New Delhi:

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has been hit by civilian unrest and a massive crackdown has been launched by the authorities to quell protests that have spread across the occupied region.

A police officer was killed and 90 others were injured in fresh clashes on Saturday.

The protests that started against inflation, high taxation, and electricity shortage have turned into a movement for rights and freedom across PoK.

Protesters have been shouting slogans for “azadi (freedom)”. They clashed with police and security agencies in Muzaffarabad and others districts.

The protests are spearheaded by Jammu and Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, with traders are on the forefront.

Dozens of leaders and members of the Action Committee have been arrested after they called the strike on Friday.

“There is going to be a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike observed across PoK and specifically in Muzaffarabad against the police brutality against our peaceful protesters in Dadyal,” said Saukat Nawaz Mir, chairman of the Traders Association Muzaffarabad and member of the Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee, news agency IANS reported.

“I call on everyone to come out today and raise your voice for your rights,” he added as videos of locals demanding freedom from the Pakistani establishment went viral.

The committee had staged a similar protest in August 2023 as well.

“We reject imposition of taxes on electricity bills. Instead, we demand that electricity should be provided to consumers in accordance with the production cost of hydel power in the region,” said Shaukat Nawaz Mir.

On May 5, emphasising that PoK has always been a part of India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said the “very sorry state of affairs” has continued because the earlier governments did not ensure Pakistan vacated the region after Independence.

“PoK has never been out of this country. It has always been a part of this country. There is a resolution of the Indian parliament that PoK is very much a part of India. Now, how did other people get control? Ab ho jaata hai (it happens) when you have someone who is not a responsible custodian of a house, an outsider will come and steal something,” Mr Jaishankar said during an interactive session in Odisha’s Cuttack.

“Here you have allowed another country… It was because we did not pursue the vacation of Pakistan from these territories in the early years of Independence that this very sorry state of affairs has continued. What will happen in the future is very difficult to tell. But, I always tell people one thing that today PoK is in the consciousness once again of the people of India. We had forgotten about it, we were made to forget about it, but it is back now, definitely,” he added.

It was not the first time Mr Jaishankar blamed the previous Congress governments for several problems that had emerged on the foreign policy front, post Independence. A week earlier in Hyderabad, he told a gathering that Sardar Patel had opposed India approaching the UN on the Kashmir issue, but India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru disregarded it.

With inputs from IANS

New Delhi:

The Pakistani government is carrying out a massive crackdown on residents in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, or PoK.

Reports from the troubled areas say the Pakistani authorities have been attacking civilians who have been protesting against heavy taxation, high inflation, and electricity shortage.

Repression in PoK is not new. The latest crackdown started when numerous protesters took out a march today. The Pakistan Rangers and the local police responded with firing tear gas, pellets, and bullets in the air.

Two protesters have died in the attack by the police and the paramilitary.

The march began as a peaceful protest, but when the forces responded with firing in the air and other potentially lethal means, the civilians turned on the police and a clash broke out.

Visuals of the clashes show policemen firing AK-47s in the air and even towards the crowds.

Students and women were seen crying in hospitals.

Sources said electricity generated in PoK areas have been diverted to other bigger cities of Pakistan, angering the locals.

The country is going through a massive funds crunch. It has been seeking funds from global agencies like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

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Sikkim flash floods death toll mounts to 18; searches on for 98 missing people

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Supply copy of FIR to NewsClick founder, court tells Delhi Police

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Amit Shah suggests uniform anti-terrorism structure under NIA for all States 

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INDIA parties speak up for arrested AAP MP Sanjay Singh; Congress gives qualified support

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India conveys concerns to U.S. over American envoy to Pakistan’s visit to Gilgit-Baltistan

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Reports say dozens have been killed and wounded as drone strikes hit a Syrian military ceremony

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EU Parliament decries ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Nagorno-Karabakh

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Lower prices for tomatoes, chillis and LPG may have pulled food inflation down last month

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SEBI to tell court Adani inquiry began 2014, but hit dead end: sources

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Asian Games | Indian compound archery teams’ domination complete

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India raised its concerns with the U.S. over American envoy to Islamabad Donald Blome’s recent visit to Gilgit-Baltistan in PoK. File photo of External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi
| Photo Credit: PTI

India on Thursday said it raised its concerns with the U.S. over American envoy to Islamabad Donald Blome’s recent visit to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and called on the world community to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

He also rejected U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti drawing a parallel to Mr. Blome’s travel to Gilgit-Baltistan to an American delegation’s visit to Srinagar to attend meetings relating to G-20.

“Our position on the entire Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India is well known. We would urge the international community to respect our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Mr. Bagchi said when asked about Mr. Blome’s visit.

“We have raised our concerns about that visit by the US ambassador to Pakistan with the U.S. side,” he said.

Mr. Blome visited Gilgit-Baltistan last month.

Asked about Mr. Garcetti’s comments on the matter, Mr. Bagchi said: “We do not think the two situations are equivalent.” In October last year too, India raised its concerns with the U.S. after Mr. Blome visited Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

When asked about Mr. Blome’s visit, Mr. Garcetti said two weeks ago: “It’s not my place to react to the United States ambassador in Pakistan but I know he’s been before, and we’ve had obviously part of our delegation in Jammu and Kashmir during the G-20 as well.” He also said that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved by India and Pakistan.

Dausa (Rajasthan):

Union Minister and former Army chief General VK Singh has claimed that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would merge with India soon “on its own”.

“PoK will merge with India on its own, wait for some time,” the Union minister for State said while responding to a query in a press conference here in Dausa regarding demands of Shia Muslims in PoK seeking opening of border crossing with India.

The minister was addressing a press conference in Dausa during a Parivartan Sankalp Yatra (PSY) programme of the BJP.

The Union minister also spoke about the success of the recently concluded G20 Summit under India’s presidency. He said that that the grandeur of the summit has given India a unique identity on the world stage and the country has proved its mettle in the world.

“The G-20 meeting was unprecedented. It has never been done before nor any other country except India can organise a summit like this. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has proved its mettle in the world. The G-20 group includes all the powerful countries of the world,” Mr Singh said.

Further, coming down heavily on the Rajasthan Government over the law and order situation, the minister alleged that under the current Congress government, the state is troubled by the poor law and order situation.

“This was the reason why the BJP had to organise the Parivartan Sankalp Yatra to go among the people and listen to them. The people want a parivartan (change) and they are coming with us on this yatra and have made up their mind to bring about change,” he said, adding that the yatra is getting immense public support across the state.

On the question about the BJP’s chief minister’s face in the state for the upcoming assembly elections, V K Singh said that the BJP does not declare the chief minister’s face wherever elections are held, but contests elections only on the charisma of the Prime Minister.

“Everyone should assume that the party will give opportunity to such leaders who are good, useful and on whom the public has confidence,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

A terrorist wanted in India was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside a mosque in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

This was the fourth such killing of a top terrorist commander operating from across the border this year.

Riyaz Ahmad alias Abu Qasim, affiliated with the proscribed Lashkar-e-Taiba, was one of the main conspirators behind the Dhangri terror attack on January 1.

Seven people died and 13 were injured when terrorists struck Dhangri village of Rajouri district and fired indiscriminately. They also left behind an improvised explosive device that went off the following morning.

Originally hailing from the Jammu region, Ahmad exfiltrated across the border in 1999. He was considered as the brains behind the revival of terrorism in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the officials said.

Quoting reports from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), they said Ahmad was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside the Al-Qudus mosque in the Rawalakot area during pre-dawn prayers.

Ahmad mostly operated from the Lashkar-e-Taiba base camp in Muridke but had recently shifted to Rawalakot. He was a close associate of Sajjad Jaat, the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s chief commander, and also looked after the outfit’s finances, the officials said.

He was the fourth top commander of different terror outfits operating from Pakistan to be gunned down this year.

In March, a top commander of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi.

Bashir Ahmad Peer alias Imtiyaz Alam, who hailed from Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, had been living in Pakistan for more than 15 years. He was accused of getting Zakir Musa, chief commander of the Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind — an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Kashmir — killed in May 2019.

In February, unidentified gunmen shot dead former Al-Badr Mujahideen commander Syed Khalid Raza in the port city of Karachi in what police described as a targeted attack.

Aijaz Ahmad Ahangar, a Kashmiri terrorist functioning as a top commander of the global terror group Islamic State, was found dead — reportedly killed by the Taliban — in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province earlier this year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)