Page 42 - 31OCT2018E

When PoK residents PAKISTAN

repulse Pak agendas

Massive protests were also ob - residents would have little expectation pendent State of Kashmir,” said Qadeer.
served in July at Rawalkot locality rais- from the new regime in Islamabad. Around 10,000 survey forms were
ing voices against Islamabad’s aids to Talking about the communication distributed across PoK for many years
anti-India terror activities in PoK. The in PoK, the editor disclosed that there is questioning whether the dwellers want
protesters accused various Pak au- no train connectivity and presently no the position of Kashmir in 1948 being
thorities (including ISI) of providing operational airport as those are being restored. Most of the participants made
supports to terror groups like Lashkar- occupied by the Pakistani militaries. So it clear that they are Kashmiris first.
e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. the PoK people have to move to Islama- Soon after the newspaper published the
So, the ongoing freedom move - bad (around 90 km from Muzaffarabad) tedious survey report, the authority got
ment in the entire Kashmir got de - or Rawalpindi (138 km) by road before into actions.
railed as the international community they can proceed to other places (in- The irritated Pak government (read
started believing that the movement cluding foreign countries). Pakistani military) promptly sent a no-
had mingled with the Islamist terror- As the healthcare infrastructure in tice to the editor, but when Qadeer did
ism. Facing international pressures to PoK is poor, the affluent families prefer not bow down, the local authorities
crack down terror groups, the Islama- to move out for treatment. Many pa- sealed his office on 12 September 2017.
bad regime inherently used PoK as tients with liver ailments want to go to As the ban still continues, Qadeer now
their safe havens. India, but there are restrictions from the contributes news-features for various
It may be noted that the hilly region Pakistan government, revealed Qadeer other media outlets for survival. For
has very little non-Muslim popula- adding that Islamabad also put prohibi- any reason, he does not see any hope for
tions. Even before partition, there were tions for Indian tourists to visit PoK. change of hearts by the Pak politicians
only few Hindu families. Whoever left While appreciating the vibrant Indi- and military officials in Rawalpindi.
they were forcefully converted into Is- It may be noted that most of the is-
Recent uprisings in PoK’s capital Muzaffarabad have shown people’s angst against lam and the temples were demolished. sues concerning PoK residents are not
the Islamabad regime, writes NAVA THAKURIA The pathetic story of Kashmiri Pandits, highlighted in the media as the ver-
who had to leave their ancestor’s vil- The demonstrators nacular newspapers remain week and
lage because of Muslim aggressions, majority of newspapers, circulated in
or millions of common In - province (known as Gilgit-Baltistan) by test in Muzaffarabad was led by United narrates a part of the history. The vis- in Pakistan-occupied PoK, are actually Kashmir editions of
dians, the Pakistan occupied Pakistan. Presently Islamabad is think- Kashmir People’s National Party rais- ibility of Pandits in Kashmir declined Kashmir always various Pakistan based media outlets.
Kashmir (PoK) functions like ing about reorganizing the territory as ing voices against the Neelum dam, but from 10% in 1947 to less than 1% today. As for news channels, which are mostly
a province of Pakistan. It is a full- fledged province of Pakistan af- their slogans included ‘Azadi for Kash- Admitting the presence of Islam- raise voices against cable operated, there is almost zero
F guessed that nearly 4.5 million ter Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, miri People’, ‘Long Live Kashmir’, ‘Go to ist fundamentalist elements in PoK, a the Pakistan visibility of any India based news chan-
PoK habitants happily agree to any pro- Punjab and Sindh. Hell Pakistan’ etc. It means the agitators Muzaffarabad based journalist named nel in PoK.
posal from the Pakistan government in The western part remains as Pa - were asking for rights over their land Haris Qadeer, who used to edit once government, even So New Delhi’s position as the entire
Islamabad. With the proximity of reli- kistan administered zone. Islamabad and natural resources. the highest circulated Urdu newspa- though the state is Kashmir inclusive of PoK and Gilgit-Bal-
gion, the people of PoK seemingly feel calls it Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Similarly, a number of protest- per Daily Mujadala, pointed out that tistan is an integral parts of India would
comfortable with the Islamic Republic. where one can see an elected President demonstrations in September across the growth of radical elements and not represented in be heard by very few residents there.
But slowly the myth has started los- (presently Sardar Masood Khan), Prime PoK highlighted the interventions over terrorism had affected local aspira- Pakistan’s National That is why they may not be aware of
ing its ground. Few recent uprisings Minister (Raja Farooq Haider), a Legis- Neelum apprehending the shortage of tions for a greater Kashmir. Qadeer, India’s strong opposition to the USD 50
in PoK’s capital Muzaffarabad against lative Assembly and even a Supreme drinking water in Muzaffarabad locali- who talked to a group of journalists in Assembly billion China-Pakistan Economic Corri-
the Pakistan government have shown Court are all functioning. However, the ty. The demonstrators expressed angers Guwahati Press Club recently through dor that passes through Gilgit-Baltistan.
the anxiety of locals. The media in PoK real political-economy rests with the against Islamabad for misusing the lo- video-conferencing, commented that Amidst all difficulties, Qadeer em-
highlighted the people’s angers against Kashmir Affair minister in Pakistan cal resources. in contrast to commonly-held belief in an media, nurtured with constitutional phasized on more people-to-people
the Islamabad regime, even though the Premier’s cabinet. Similar protests were also orches- India, the people of PoK are neither in safeguards, Qadeer expressed concern contact and exchange of ideas between
Pakistan media preferred to remain re- Hence, the demonstrators in PoK (or trated in Geneva (in front of UNHRC) favour of Islamabad nor in support of over the restricted media freedom in all parts of Kashmir for greater regional
luctant to cover those demonstrations. AJK) always raise voices against the Pak and London (in front of Pakistan High New Delhi. “Rather they (mostly Mus- his place. He narrated the story of Daily understanding and meeting of minds.
It may be noted that Kashmir, which government, even though AJK is not Commission). In many protest pro - lims) prefer to identify themselves Mujadala (www.dailymujadala.com), He definitely deserves appreciations for
went under British rule in 1846 and lat- represented in Pakistan’s National As- grams against Islamabad, where the as Kashmiri first,” asserted the young which is now under ban by the Pak gov- his ambitious proposal, but the question
er turned as a semi-independent pris- sembly. Though initiated with various participants demanded genuine free- editor. ernment for one year. that arises if New Delhi along with Is-
tine State till 1947, was later divided into reasons including protests against the dom and dignity for PoK and Gilgit- Answering queries from Guwahati “We published a survey report last lamabad and Beijing would listen to his
four segments. The major part remains hydroelectric dam over Neelum river, Baltistan residences, many Sindhi and scribes about any visible change of year in the newspaper, where it was candid call.
with India as its Jammu & Kashmir shrinking of job opportunities and anti- Baloch political activists were also pre- perception after legendary cricketer found that majority respondents dared
province. The northeastern part went people activities by both State & non- sent. They unitedly chanted slogans like Imran Khan becoming the Prime Min- to reject Islamabad’s domination over The author is a Guwahati based
under the occupation of Beijing (known State actors, the inherent demand re- ‘Stop Human Rights Violations in PoK ister of Pakistan, Qadeer commented their land. In fact, over 73% respondents political commentator
as Aksai Chin). mains political liberty from Islamabad. and Gilgit-Baltistan’, ‘Save Neelum to that it is too early to get the impres- opted for freedom from Pakistani occu-
The northern region is made a semi For records, the October 5, 2018 pro- Save Muzaffarabad’ etc. sion. He however stated that the PoK pation and eventually establish an inde- LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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