Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif issued a controversial statement defending the action taken against protesters in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Asif said he considers the protesters who took to the streets against Islamabad to be enemies of India. He also rejected the possibility of negotiations with the protesters, calling them enemies of Pakistan.
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Meanwhile, speaking to a local TV channel, Khawaja Asif said, “I put the protesters in the same category as India and consider them as enemies as India.” His statement comes amid ongoing protests in PoK. Recently, Pakistani security forces allegedly opened fire on a protest march led by the outlawed Joint People’s Action Committee (JAAC), killing at least 14 activists.
Accused of shooting at protesters
On Tuesday, thousands of JAAC supporters marched from Rawalkot towards Muzaffarabad. The protesters demanded cancellation of 12 seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees in the POK assembly. JAAC says the location of these sites weakens the political rights of local POK residents and provides an opportunity for Islamabad-based political parties to influence government formation in the region.
Protesters said about 5,000 people were participating in the peaceful march when security forces allegedly opened fire. JAAC said at least 14 activists were killed and more than two dozen others were injured. Among the dead was Usman Nazir, the younger brother of JAAC co-founder Omar Nazir. The organization accused Pakistani security forces of “unprovoked shooting” at protesters.
However, Pakistani officials rejected the allegations and said the protesters had sophisticated weapons and attacked security forces, following which action was taken. The statements from both sides could not be independently verified.
Protests have been going on for weeks
We would like to inform you that tension has further increased following the latest acts of violence amid protests that have been going on for weeks in PoK. More than 80 people have been killed in the protests that began on June 5 and subsequent military action, according to multiple reports. About 40 people were previously reported killed, including 34 protesters and six security personnel.
India calls elections a sham exercise
The action in Pakistan comes at a time when Pakistan has begun the process of the first phase of so-called assembly elections in the region. There were clashes in many areas and cases of alleged looting of ballot boxes were also reported. The opposition has leveled allegations of election fraud amid tight security measures.
India has called these elections an attempt to legitimize the illegal occupation of Pakistan. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a weekly media briefing that these sham elections are an attempt to cover up the illegal occupation of Pakistan and serious human rights violations in the region.
Jaiswal said that all Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including those occupied by Pakistan, are an integral and inseparable part of India. He said that the ongoing mass protests in Pakistan are a direct result of economic exploitation of Pakistan, denial of the fundamental rights of the people and administrative repression.
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