PoK protests intensify amid fears of Islamabad’s bid to seize direct control
The protests and the subsequent atrocities being committed do not seem to have died down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and although the authorities have made an offer for talks, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has not accepted it as they feel it is a futile exercise.
New Delhi: The protests and the subsequent atrocities being committed do not seem to have died down in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), and although the authorities have made an offer for talks, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has not accepted it as they feel it is a futile exercise.
The JAAC says holding talks has no meaning as the Pakistan establishment has never honoured its assurances.
An Indian intelligence official said that the offer for talks is just an eyewash by Islamabad as it wants everything to be settled on its own terms.
The official tracking the developments says that the real intention of Islamabad is to take complete control over PoK. It does not want a government in the region and instead wants to run the show from Islamabad.
Another official said that the real intention of not letting talks succeed and the refusal to honour its commitments in Islamabad is linked to the implementation of Article 56 of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act of 1974. The official said that the push this time is being made for the implementation of this article so that the federal government in Islamabad can have complete control over Islamabad.
If implemented, it would allow Islamabad to dismiss the government in PoK and also dissolve the Legislative Assembly. If Article 56 is implemented, then the view of the majority government in PoK would make no difference, and all decisions would be made by Islamabad.
The implementation of Article 56 would bypass the provision whereby Pakistan does not recognise PoK as a formal province of Pakistan. PoK is a self-governing autonomous state under the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act of 1974.
Where PoK is concerned, Pakistan only controls foreign affairs, defence, security, currency and foreign trade. However, when it comes to matters relating to day-to-day affairs and decision-making, it is the PoK government which is in control.
Officials say that the Pakistan government wants to deny PoK its autonomy and seeks to take complete control. The official pointed out that the real reason is not to integrate PoK with the rest of Pakistan. The only intention is to scuttle dissent by brute force and ensure that protesters seeking development for the region are beaten down, the official added.
Another official said that for the Pakistani establishment, the ongoing protests are becoming too hard to handle. This time around, the situation is different since there is a global diaspora which has been protesting abroad, raising human rights violations and atrocities in PoK, the official also added.
Further, the protests, unlike in the past, have not been restricted only to Muzaffarabad. This time around, it has spread across the region, which has made the job of the security agencies harder. Pakistan has been considering stringent action against the protesters which will be both through brute force and legal action, officials say.
Officials say that the region has seen protests in the past as well. The region is rich in its water resources, precious gemstones, and industrial and metallic minerals. The people complain that the funds generated through these resources are never used for the region, as a result of which PoK remains underdeveloped. With the possible imposition of Article 56, Islamabad gets complete control over the region. With the administrative control coming under Islamabad, the people would have very few options but to adhere to what the state tells them to do, officials also point out.
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