Why is Pakistan-occupied Kashmir rocked by protests? | Explained
The story so far: Simmering discontent over inflation, lack of accountability and opaque governance in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has escalated into a violent crackdown by
The story so far: Simmering discontent over inflation, lack of accountability and opaque governance in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has escalated into a violent crackdown by Pakistani security forces over the past week, leaving dozens dead and many more injured. Security forces have reportedly used assault weapons and sniper fire against protesters gathered in the main squares of cities such as Rawalakot and Muzaffarabad, who are demonstrating against the three-phase election currently underway in PoK. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), which has been leading the protests, claims that more than 50 people have been killed over the past week as demonstrations continue against what it alleges is a rigged election process. Why are protests taking place in PoK? PoK is caught between an election and a popular political movement opposing the political basis of that election. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee has been protesting peacefully in Rawalakot, Muzaffarabad, Dudalkot and other locations in the region, seeking to build a more representative political system in PoK. The three-phase election started on July 27 and will conclude on August 11. The movement, which emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic to campaign against the rising prices of essential items like flour, has evolved over the years into a protest against the local population’s lack of political representation in PoK’s legislature.
Protesters are particularly focused on 12 seats in the 53-seat legislature reserved for refugees from Jammu and Kashmir, and their descendants, who are settled in various parts of Pakistan. Locals claim that the reserved seats reduce the representation of communities from the region. As the authorities went ahead with the election process without addressing the local demand for scrapping the reserved seats, the JKJAAC called for a “long march”. Though the authorities have responded with a harsh crackdown, the protesters have shown they are not going away anytime soon, having sustained the protests for months. The movement gained new momentum after Osama Jaleel, a PhD scholar at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, was reportedly killed in police firing in Rawalakot. Before his death, Jaleel had become known online for his fiery speeches at protest meetings in Rawalakot. What is the political relationship between Islamabad and PoK? The federal government of Pakistan has had a complicated relationship with the region for years, as mainstream political parties such as the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have failed to fulfil the developmental aspirations of the people of PoK. In recent days, the situation has been further inflamed by comments from leading figures within the establishment about the protesters. Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khwaja Asif, incensed public sentiment by referring to the protesters as “enemies just like Indians”.
The BriefWire