PoK protests to go global from Thursday, AAC to observe Pakistan’s I-Day as Black Day
New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) In a fresh development that could trouble Pakistan, protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are set to go global from August 13.
The Awami Action Committee (AAC) has urged Kashmiris across the world to hold rallies and draw international attention to the force allegedly being used by the Pakistani establishment against the people of PoK.
The AAC has also decided to observe August 14 as a Black Day, coinciding with Pakistan’s Independence Day.
Protests have been continuing for more than two months, with no solution in sight. Protesters have alleged that security forces have killed more than 60 people and injured over 500 others.
Concerns have also grown over reports of forced disappearances in the region.
The AAC has now decided to take the campaign global and has called on Kashmiris living abroad to hold rallies on August 13, while observing August 14 as a Black Day.
Demonstrations are being planned outside Pakistani embassies and diplomatic missions in several countries.
The AAC wants Kashmiris across the globe to voice their opinion and tell the international community about the kind of atrocities that they are facing in the PoK.
An official said that this could well be a turning point for the people of the region. While there has been some buzz in the international community, the issues surrounding the PoK have not got the desired traction.
“If the AAC’s call receives a strong response, it could put Pakistan in a difficult position and cause considerable embarrassment to the country’s establishment,” the official added.
Another official said that the call being taken seriously and also enforced properly is the need of the hour.
“These atrocities will never stop until the global community starts speaking about it. More importantly, it will also expose Pakistan’s bluff, as since the start of the protests, the establishment has been trying to pass off the protesters as terrorists,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the security forces have decided to step up the heat on the protesters.
The AAC has alleged that there has been military firing and said that the oppression has only increased.
The AAC has also called these incidents state-sponsored terror by the Pakistani establishment.
Experts keeping a watch on these developments say that with no sign of both sides backing down, the situation is only going to get worse in the PoK. This is why an international campaign and a global discourse on the PoK is needed.
“Unless and until the issues become global and world leaders begin talking about it, there would be no respite for the people of the region,” the experts said.
If people from the PoK living abroad unite, they could find it easier to build a global narrative around the situation in the region. There are currently around two million people from PoK living abroad.
The majority of this diaspora originally belong to Kotli, Bhimber and Mirpur districts. The highest concentration is hosted by the United Kingdom, with estimates ranging from 1 million to 1.5 million. The remaining reside in the Middle East, North America, Canada and the United States.
Officials said the Pakistani establishment has made every effort to restrict communication with the outside world to prevent the issue from gaining international attention. They said reports emerging from the region may represent only 20 to 30 per cent of what is actually happening on the ground.
The situation is reportedly far worse, with the actual figures for deaths, disappearances and injuries remaining largely under-reported. With the AAC now calling for global protests, the Pakistani establishment is likely to tighten restrictions on the flow of information and communication from the region.
For Pakistan, ensuring that the issue does not turn global is important as it has projected on the world stage that it is an international peace broker, the officials said.
–IANS
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