‘Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) not part of Pakistan’ declare thousands of protesters in Rawalakot

ISLAMABAD: The ongoing unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which has left dozens dead so far, continues to intensify with thousands of protesters in Rawalakot on Tuesday declaring that time has come now to free the occupied region from Islamabad's control. During a massive protest rally held at the Eidgah Ground, people chanted slogans like "PoK is not part of Pakistan" and "We want freedom", highlighting that what initially began as a genuine local resistance with demands for reforms has now transformed into an open call for independence from Pakistan's long exercised political control over the occupied region.

Experts have repeatedly pointed out that the current political crisis in PoK underscores the deep disconnect between the local population and a “toothless” regional administration that remains entirely subservient to Islamabad.

They reckon that the Pakistani authorities' decision to ban the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and deploy lethal force in the occupied territory reflects a broader military-driven strategy to suppress the growing unrest in the region. In the videos that went viral on social media Tuesday, Sardar Aman Khan, a core member of the JAAC, told the huge gathering at Rawalakot that if Islamabad continues to crush the local resistance then people could even seek closer ties with India.

Khan said that PoK was not part of Pakistan and if the blockade on food supplies and other essential goods continued, then Islamabad could soon find itself in dire straits.

Several locals and members of Kashmiri diaspora also took to social media to highlight the growing atrocities of the Pakistani government in the occupied region.

"Even the government surveillance drones hovering over the Eidgah grounds in Rawalakot and the presence of artillery on the ground could not dampen the spirits of the people. This is a new era; the voice of rights cannot be suppressed by instilling fear in technology," wrote Rubina Hussain on X while insisting that the oppression and repression being perpetrated by Pakistani forces must be stopped. (IANS)

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