BIG trouble for Pakistan as mass protests erupt across PoK due to…; how 70 years of public anger could trigger rebellion against Islamabad?

PoK protests: Mass protests have erupted across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as thousands have hit the streets against rampant corruption, government apathy and brutal suppression of fundamental rights in the strategic region. On Monday, a complete shutdown was observed across PoK while the Neelum Valley Public Action Committee launched massive demonstrations, raising tensions in the region as Islamabad deployed large number of security forces to crush the protsts.

How 70 years of anger could trigger rebellion against Pakistan?

Addressing a protest gathering in PoK capital Muzaffarabad, prominent action committee leader Shaukat Nawaz Mir said the protests were not directed against any particular institution, but aimed to push for fundamental rights of PoK natives who he claimed have been denied these rights for the last 70 years.

“Our campaign is not against any institution, but for the fundamental rights that have been denied to our people for 70 years. Our patience has worn thin, and this is the last resort in the push for our rightful demands,” he said.

Analysts believe that the public anger in PoK, which has been simmering for the last seven decades, could spark a major rebellion in the region, akin to what is happening in Balochistan, especially if the Pakistani state uses military force to crush the protest and ignore the region’s demands.

Why is there unrest in PoK?

The people of the region have fostered simmering anger against the Pakistani government for a long time, while Islamabad’s threat to use force against protesters has further exacerbated public outrage, with Shaukat Mir warning that people’s patience has worn thin.

According to reports, Islamabad is preparing to use brutal force to deal with the protest, as heavily armed security personnel conducted flag marches in major PoK cities, while more troops have been deployed from Punjab to quell the protests. Over the weekend, the local police sealed and entry and exit points to major cities, while an additional 1,000-men strong force has been deployed from Islamabad to reinforce security forces in the region.

The Awami Action Committee (AAC) has united thousands under its banner in recent months, and has raised a 38-point charter demanding reforms, chief among them being the abolition of the 12 legislative seats in the PoK assembly for Kashmiri refugees living in Pakistan.

Additionally, crippling inflation and food crisis has added to people’s woes, with many comparing the facilities in PoK to those in India(BHARAT)n Kashmir, and accusing Islamabad of negligence and apathy which has resulted in their poor financial condition. Earlier, a 13-hour marathon meeting between AAC negotiators, the PoK administration, and Pakistani central ministers failed to reach a resolution, following  which the committee called for a shutdown in the region.