This content is not merely a written record; it is a resolute declaration of protest against the ruthless oppression perpetrated by Pakistan and its ISI-backed machinery against the helpless people of POJK.
Israar Shahid
The year 1947 marked the birth of two new nations—India and Pakistan—emerging from the shadows of colonial rule. These nations embarked on their respective journeys of nation-building, with the British leaving princely states the choice to join either dominion or remain independent. While most princely states made clear decisions, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) proved far more complex. J&K, a princely state ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, faced an unprecedented crisis. As the decision about its future hung in the balance, Pakistan unleashed tribal militias, infamously known as the Kabaili Raiders, to invade the region. My grandfather, an activist at the time, recounted how local Kashmiri militias rose to defend their homeland, forming the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI), a regiment that continues to serve with distinction. Their battle cry, “HamlawarKhabardar, Hum Kashmiri Hai Tayar” (Beware, invaders; we Kashmiris are ready), echoed through the valleys as a rallying call for resistance. The Pakistani army, accompanying these raiders, wrought devastation—looting wealth, destroying infrastructure, and perpetrating heinous crimes such as the rape of women. Facing an existential threat, the Maharaja turned to India for help. On October 26, 1947, he signed the Instrument of Accession, legally integrating J&K into the Union of India. Despite the intervention, Pakistan’s aggression resulted in the occupation of a significant portion of Kashmir. A United Nations-mediated ceasefire in 1949 formalized this division, leaving Pakistan in control of what is now known as Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK). This occupation has since become a symbol of both human rights violations and the region’s prolonged struggle for peace.
Every country has an army, but Pakistan’s army has a country. This phrase aptly reflects the control wielded by the military over Pakistan’s political and social systems. The plight of the people in Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) and Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (POGB) under this regime is deeply troubling. Both regions have been subjected to grave human rights violations, systemic oppression, and severe restrictions on fundamental freedoms. Strategically located, POGB is an underreported yet geopolitically significant part of POJK, boasting the world’s second-highest peak, Mount Godwin-Austen (K2), and the largest freshwater glacier systems outside Antarctica. It is the only land border Pakistan shares with China, a fact that Islamabad exploits for strategic gains, using Beijing as a shield against India. POGB, Pakistan’s sole Shia and Ismaili-majority region, suffers from rampant discrimination, marginalization, and resource exploitation. Reports of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary detentions are alarmingly frequent. Protests against unjust taxation and plundering of local resources have been met with brutal crackdowns by Pakistani security forces, further deepening the mistrust between the state and the region’s population.In POJK, a similar pattern of oppression persists. Laws restricting freedom of speech and assembly disproportionately target political dissenters and journalists, leaving little room for opposition. Pro-democracy parties like the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP) are systematically excluded from elections unless they pledge allegiance to Pakistan, undermining any semblance of democratic governance.The assassination of prominent Kashmiri rights activist Arif Shahid in 2013 remains a glaring example of Pakistan’s failure to ensure justice and accountability. Human rights organizations estimate that over 100 people disappear annually in the region, victims of abductions or extrajudicial actions. Meanwhile, activists and journalists face harassment, threats, and arbitrary arrests for speaking out against these injustices. The civilian population of POJK recently staged massive protests against a controversial Presidential Ordinance that curtailed their freedoms, a move that sparked widespread outrage. The demonstrations gained further momentum when Kashmiri Muslims from India’s Kashmir Valley, using social media platforms, expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of POJK and amplified their voices globally. Faced with intense backlash and mounting pressure, including a rattled response from Pakistan’s military establishment and the ISI—entities notorious for controlling the region through fear—the Pakistani government was forced to withdraw the contentious ordinance. To conclude this paragraph of my article, I feel it pertinent to mention here that all base camps of all terroristic organisations backed by ISI are established in POJK and POGB to further threaten them.
How the ISI-Backed Pakistani Government Suppresses Activists in POJK
Arif Shahid, a staunch advocate for the independence of POJK, was assassinated in 2013 under highly suspicious circumstances, with fingers pointed toward ISI involvement. Political activists such as Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri have also been relentless targets of Pakistani suppression. These individuals, along with many others, face arbitrary arrests and detentions, underscoring the brutal tactics employed by the Pakistani state to stifle dissent. The said activist follows me on my X and during interactions on X spaces (formerly Twitter), I have listened to these activists recount their harrowing experiences during live discussions. Shaukat Ali Kashmiri once shared how his article in the Urdu newspaper Daily Kashmir Times angered ISI-backed agencies, leading to his month-long imprisonment. Recently, student activists from the United Kashmir People’s National Party (UKPNP), including Ali Shamraiz, Raja Noman Asif, Raja Etsham, Irfan Ahmed, and Faisal Aurangzaib were subjected to torture before being released, simply for protesting against government oppression. Kashif Ahmed Abbasi, another activist, recently staged a protest at 10 Downing Street, London, highlighting human rights violations in POJK and pleading for global intervention to save lives from Pakistan’s brutal forces. As I follow a few sincere news outlets of Pakistan and while I was writing this article I came across a news that Ehsan Ali Advocate, a notable human rights activist and chairman of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) in Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), was arrested by Punjab Police in Rawalpindi while end route to Islamabad to receive an award at a human rights conference. His arrest has sparked outrage in PoGB, a region that is part of India’s Union Territory of Ladakh. This grim reality in POJK reflects the continued suppression and exploitation of the region’s people. Reports indicate systemic sexual violence, including rapes, used as tools of oppression to instill fear. Exact numbers are challenging to confirm due to media censorship and victim intimidation, but thousands of civilians have reportedly disappeared, and many dissenters have been extrajudicially killed. These atrocities underscore the severe, state-sponsored human rights abuses rampant in POJK.
Conclusion
As fellow Kashmiris and conscientious global citizens, we vehemently condemn the heinous violence inflicted upon the civilians and innocent people of POJK for daring to demand their basic rights, ownership of their resources, fair employment opportunities, salary increments, and relief from exorbitant electricity bills, among other grievances. This article is not merely a written record; it is a resolute declaration of protest against the ruthless oppression perpetrated by Pakistan and its ISI-backed machinery against the helpless people of POJK. Through this platform, I appeal to global organizations and human rights bodies to take urgent notice of these atrocities. It is imperative for the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for its actions and to intervene decisively to protect the lives and dignity of the oppressed. The time to act is now before more lives are silenced under the weight of injustice.
The Writer is a student activist and can be reached at [email protected]
