Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK), which includes the regions of Mirpur, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan, remains one of the most politically suppressed and economically exploited regions under Pakistan’s illegal control since 1948. While Pakistan lie claims to advocate for the rights of Kashmiris, the reality in POJK starkly contradicts these claims. Systematic human rights violations by the Pakistan Army, judiciary, politicians, and security forces have pushed the people of this region into a state of despair, deniel and degradation. Their fundamental rights, economic prospects, freedom of thought and expression, and even their natural resources are being looted, leading many to flee to foreign lands to escape persecution from the cruel Pakistani establishment.
Denial of Fundamental Rights: Despite the illusion of self-governance, POJK remains under the iron grip of Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies. The local people are denied their most basic rights, including:
Freedom of Speech and Expression: Anyone in POJK who criticizes the Pakistani government or military faces arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture. Activists such as Tanveer Ahmed and many others have been jailed merely for demanding their rights or expressing their views against Pakistan’s oppressive rule. Protesters who call for autonomy or demand basic facilities are met with brutal crackdowns.
Equality Before Law: The legal system in POJK operates under the dictates of Islamabad. While Pakistani settlers enjoy preferential treatment, the indigenous people of POJK face systemic discrimination. The judiciary in POJK lacks independence, and corruption is rampant, ensuring that justice remains inaccessible to those who challenge the status quo.
Freedom of Thought and Political Representation: Any form of political dissent against Pakistan’s control is met with severe retaliation, subjugationand Intimidation. Political parties or leaders advocating for true self-determination are either banned or silenced through intimidation, imprisonment, or assassination is no uncommon.
Economic Exploitation and Unemployment: POJK’s economy has been deliberately stifled to keep the region dependent on Pakistan. Despite its vast natural resources, the local people are deprived of economic opportunities. The POJK’ens are harassed on multiple fronts like: Job Discrimination: Jobs in government institutions are disproportionately given to non-locals, while educated youth in POJK are left unemployed. Pakistani settlers are favored for key positions, pushing the local population into economic despair, subordination and toothlessness.
Business Suppression: Entrepreneurs and business owners face excessive taxation, bureaucratic hurdles, and financial neglect. The lack of infrastructural development and deliberate economic suppression prevents businesses from flourishing, forcing many to migrate for better opportunities abroad.
Resource Looting: The exploitation of POJK’s natural resources, including water, minerals, and forests, benefits Pakistan while leaving the local people impoverished. Hydropower projects on the Jhelum and Neelum rivers supply electricity to Pakistan while POJK itself faces power shortages, long frequent cuts, many villages still without electricity, excessive power tariffs and much more. Similarly, mining operations extract valuable minerals, but the revenue is siphoned off to Islamabad with little to no reinvestment in the region making POJK a hell for its own people and heaven loot for Pakistani agencies.
Atrocities by the Pakistan Army and Security Forces: The Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies maintain a reign of terror over POJK, committing widespread human rights abuses resulting into many enforced disappearances and killings. Activists, journalists, and political leaders who speak against the injustices face enforced disappearances. Many are never seen again, while some are found dead under mysterious circumstances and their cases never investigated.
Even the genuine protests face Crackdown, lathi charge, tear gas and even firing on unarmed Protesters is a routine: The Pakistan Army ruthlessly suppresses protests against inflation, water shortages, and unemployment. Peaceful demonstrators have been fired upon, beaten, and arrested without cause, kept in detention for long as per Pakistani army sweet will and even the courts in POJK watch all this as a mute spectator. Sexual Violence and Gender Discrimination is another stigma the POJK people are facing since 1948. Women in POJK suffer from rampant gender-based violence, often at the hands of security personnel. Reports of abductions, forced marriages, and abuse by the Pakistani forces go unheard as victims are too afraid to seek justice. Mass Exodus and Forced Migration has become a routine because people fearing their lives has no other option but to flee in exile.
As a consequence of ongoing persecution, many POJK residents have been forced into exile. Thousands have fled to the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and other regions to escape Pakistan’s oppression. The POJK diaspora frequently raises awareness about the human rights violations in international forums, but their voices are ignored by mainstream global institutions due to geopolitical considerations and now time has come when India need to implement the all party unanimous Parliament resolution of 1994.
