PoK unrest deepens as rising targeted killings, disappearances fuel protests
New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) The situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has continued to deteriorate, with protests showing no signs of abating. Reports of enforced disappearances have increased significantly, while protesters have accused Pakistani security forces of using excessive force to quell the agitation.
When the protests erupted nearly three months ago, security forces used force to disperse the demonstrators. Pakistan also allegedly facilitated the infiltration of unruly elements into the protest sites, with the resulting violence providing grounds for the security forces to use force against the protesters.
An official said that with the protesters remaining adamant this time, the Pakistani establishment has been appealing for peace. “On the one hand, they appeal for peace, while on the other, they are carrying out targeted killings of innocent people in the region,” the official said.
The officials tracking the developments say that this time around, the protesters were not being attacked or forced to be used against them directly.
“The security forces are, instead, indulging in targeted killings. They randomly just shoot and kill people who are not even connected with the protest. The idea is to instill fear in the minds of the people so that they put pressure on the protesters to withdraw,” the officials say.
Earlier this week, two such incidents were reported from Rawalakot. Two motorcyclists were targeted in separate incidents. One died and the other sustained injuries. The Pakistani security forces, however, refused to hand over the body of the deceased.
Another official said the situation was alarming and could deteriorate further. A complete communications blackout has been reported in PoK, making it difficult for accurate information from the region to emerge.
The Pakistani media is silent on the situation in PoK. This explains why the exact number of forced disappearances, deaths and arrests are not known to the rest of the world, the official said.
Amid the continuing media blackout, allegations of excesses by Pakistani security forces in the region have persisted. The latest incidents of targeted killings have further compounded the problems faced by the people of PoK, who are already grappling with growing unrest and uncertainty.
What is ironic is that in PoK, the atrocities continue unabated, but a close Pakistan ally, Turkish President Recep Erdogan, raises the Kashmir issue at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue within the framework of the UN Charter.
India has always maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and there shall be no outside intervention on the same, the official said.
Pakistan, meanwhile, maintains that it has made several offers for dialogue and peace to the people of PoK. However, protesters remain deeply suspicious of the government’s intentions. The recent incidents of targeted killings have further fuelled their doubts about the motives of the Pakistani establishment.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that soon after a peace offer was made, Pakistan announced a bounty of PKR 1 crore on those organising the protests. Protesters have said they initially trusted the establishment and even signed some of the peace agreements. However, they alleged that several of the signatories were subsequently killed or have gone missing.
The protests began with demands for better amenities such as water supply, roads and medical facilities. Now a demand is also being made for electoral reforms after it was found that the establishment was trying to rig the elections in PoK in favour of the PML-N. Pakistan, in fact, does not want a solution in PoK.
It would do everything it can to suppress dissent through force, even if it means that the human rights violations go up manifold, an official said.
–IANS
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