Genocide in POJK My Ind Makers 03 Aug 2026
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Genocide in POJK My Ind Makers 03 Aug 2026
POJK (Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir) has been burning with its populace protesting for their demands for over 50 days. Islamabad refuses to negotiate, while employing every dirty trick to break the will of the protestors, but failing each time. It declared the JAAC (Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee), a non-political organization, spearheading the protests, as illegal on 05 Jun and placed a bounty on its leaders. Some have been arrested, while few killed. Many remain in hiding.
Boycott of elections in POJK further angered Islamabad and Rawalpindi though finally, the results will show reasonable voting as rigging is a right of Rawalpindi as it decides who will be head the province, normally the ruling party in Islamabad. The boycott conveyed that despite use of force including firing onto peaceful protests, the movement is determined to push on. While actual figures of casualties are unknown, it is estimated that over 120 have been killed, with many more hundreds injured and possibly thousands arrested, most of whom will turn up dead in the days ahead. Protests in support of the agitation have emerged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Lahore, adding to problems.
A basic consideration of firing by police and security agencies onto unarmed protestors is that limited ammunition is utilized, largely aimed below the waist to injure, not kill. In this case, security forces are firing thousands of rounds at unarmed protestors, killing in large numbers, yet failing to control the situation. There are no reports of use of tear gas and other less violent means of crowd control and dispersal. This conveys that the solution determined by their failed marshal is kill without mercy, basically because they dislike Kashmiris as a community.
Unable to control the protests, their army has blocked movement of food and medicines into POJK as also shut down all communication, including internet, within. The intent is to isolate POJK and prevent flow of information outwards, which has failed. It appears to be a repeat of what happened in East Pakistan and currently in Baluchistan. Pak security agencies have even infiltrated thugs and members of anti-India terrorist groups into peaceful protests, thereby enhancing levels of violence, providing an excuse to fire at will. With the blockade enforced there is little medical treatment for the injured. Many of those killed or injured are women and children.
Such has been local anger that the residents no longer consider themselves as Pakistani’s. The local cry is ‘Kashmir is not disputed territory. It is occupied territory. And it was never truly Azad.’ This is reality and is being exposed by their diaspora across the world, embarrassing the state. Desperation has grown to such levels that POJK residents are now appealing to India for medical and food supplies blocked by the Pak government.
The problem could have been nipped in the bud by simple negotiations but rose because of ego of the military leadership. Shehbaz Sharief and his puppet government can do little without approval of the failed marshal, who is busy travelling across the world, seeking to negotiate between warring factions, but failing everywhere. This, while his own backyard, POJK, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa burn to ashes and his soldiers die while his DG ISPR projects fake success to satisfy his domestic audience.
The world is slowly waking up to reality of brutal suppression of peaceful protests. Amnesty International has demanded an ‘independent and transparent’ investigation into use of ‘lethal force’ against ‘peaceful protestors.’ The UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, appealed for calm in POJK while calling for ‘prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths.’ Surprisingly, there has been silence from the US and Europe, both of whom claim to be the global spokespersons for Human Rights. As expected, the OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) will be silent as many of its member states adopt a similar approach.
On the contrary, even a one-day curfew in Kashmir with curtailing of internet services would draw adverse comments from the world. The silence is partially because nothing emerges in Pak media while lives are lost to firing, innocents vanish and bodies appear in ditches, riddled with bullet wounds. Such global hypocrisy will only add to confidence of the Pak army to continue its genocide.
For once, even Kashmiris on the Indian side are also concerned. Mirwaiz Farooq, a Kashmiri separatist leader, who once espoused a pro-Pakistan approach, has expressed concern on the killings. The dreams of Pak promoting POJK as ‘Azad Kashmir’ and attempting to brainwash those on the Indian side to join them are now over. Sheikh Abdullah also requested the Indian government to criticize Pak for its handling of POJK protests.
It is surprising that Mushaal Hussein Malik, wife of separatist leader Yasin Malik, currently lodged in Tihar jail, has been silent throughout the protests, while claiming to be a die-hard Kashmiri.
In defence, their government blames India. Khawaja Asif, their unemployed defence minister, described protestors as, ‘I put the protesters of Azad Kashmir in the same category as India and consider them also as enemies like India.’ Their information minister, Atta Tarar mentioned in a press conference that residents of POJK were receiving ‘funds and instructions’ from India. This was denied by members of the JAAC.
The reality is that the Pakistani leadership has no love for Kashmiris or Kashmir. Its only interest is securing its sources of water which emanate from the region as also its road connectivity with China through the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor). Loss of Kashmiri lives means nothing for Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Kashmiris for the Pak army are dispensable. This hypocrisy will be detrimental to Pakistan’s attempts at instigating Kashmir youth into militancy.
The Indian foreign ministry, on Pakistan’s use of deadly force, commented, ‘Its (Pakistan army’s) absolute disdain for the innocent people of PoK was laid bare when the defence minister branded the protesting civilians as enemies,’ adding, ‘We urge that the international community should scrutinise Pakistan’s actions and hold it accountable for its atrocities.’ India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, mentioned in a discussion at the UNSC that while similar actions in other countries are strongly criticized by the UN, repression in Pakistan does not receive the attention it deserves. The Indian Embassy to the US objected to a New York Times headline terming POJK as ‘Pakistani Kashmir’ mentioning it is ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.’
These protests are impacting Pakistan in multiple ways. With roads blocked, movement for the Pak army to its posts in POJK has been curtailed. Any single vehicle movement will be targeted. It has been forced to resort to air maintenance of its troops deployed opposite India. In case of any military action by India, movement of reserves, re-supplies and additional troops would not difficult.
Simultaneously, there is an economic loss, as the CPEC, which transits through POJK, after entering Pakistan in Gilgit Baltistan, remains affected. There are reports of vehicles lined up along the road. The movement of almost 14000 security force personnel into the region to curb the uprising is impacting Pakistan’s security and economy. With multiple simultaneous uprisings, Pakistan faces a decision dilemma. Pulling out troops from either its western provinces or along the LoC is a security risk. Its only option is to move in rangers and other security personnel from inside Pak, opening doors for increased protests and violence within.
There is a belief that Pak may resort to enhancing tensions with India to divert attention from the ongoing uprising. This would be a grave mistake as Indian response, backed by protests in rear areas of the LoC in POJK would open doors for another major defeat, apart from providing additional fodder to the protestors.
A major fallout is that the Pak army has lost all support of POJK residents. Their firing on civilians and use of disproportionate force has resulted in the Pak army being termed as ‘occupiers.’ This will play a major role in any future conflict. It is only a matter of time before the people of POJK realize that the only option left for them is to pick up the gun as being done in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The day this happens; Pak would be in deep trouble.