PoK: People hold rally to protest against deteriorating living condition

Muzaffrabad [PoK], March 1 (ANI): People in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Friday caried out a rally, expressing their anger over the deteriorating living condition in the occupied territory. During the rally, the protestors denounced the Pakistani administration over the capture of their land and water resources claiming that they are being used without the willingness of the people.

The protestors raised slogans, demanding Pakistan’s administration and law enforcement agencies to vacate PoK. In addition, people shouted slogans stating their disagreement over capture of land and water resources by the Pakistani administration.

In a post on X, United Kashmir People’s National Party’s (UKPNP) foreign secretary Jamil Maqsood stated, “Muzaffarabad – POK, an occupied territory of Jammu & Kashmir by Pakistan is boiling under political & economic turmoil. Proven that it isn’t-1947, but 2024. Pakistan sooner or later would have to Quit both regions under its illegal occupation. No more exploitation, no more corruption”.

UKPNP leader Shaukat Ali Kashmiri echoed similar sentiments. PoK has been witnessing protests over various issued faced by local residents. Ranging from the demand of proper educational setup in the area to the incapability of the administration to provide basic amenities to the general public, these protest have been going on from a long time.

Previously, there has been growing unrest in the regions of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over Pakistan’s negligent attitude towards the region. The Titri Note area in PoK recently witnessed massive protests.

During the protesters, hundreds of people demanded to cross over the border to reach the India’s Poonch district, to procure flour, claiming that Pakistan cannot provide them even essentials.

During these protests, a senior leader of the Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party underlined the condition of Pakistan and said that “they have nothing left with themselves, hence they will not solve any of our problems. They are bankrupt themselves and they are just making fake promises. They must now give flour to us, many people are waiting on Tetri Note, it is their mistake if they think, that we are satisfied. We know that why they have stopped our flour; it is because we raise our voices for our rights.”

He said that “the leaders here seem pretty much interested in politics, if they really care about politics and people then they better resign and sit with us in our protests. They enjoy several luxuries because of the money we pay as taxes. It belongs to us instead of them.” He noted, “They sit within their luxuries and create confusion in their minds by saying that we protestors are only handful of people instead we are lakhs of people. They must now understand that we are not just a handful of people, our numbers are now in about lakhs.”

Jammu Kashmir National Awami Party senior leader said that the people in PoK will continue to hold protest in a peaceful way. He said people in the region are forced to take flour with the help of chit system and called the situation embarrassing. He said that the lawmakers that represent the people of the region in the assembly try to “divide” them while they enjoy all the amenities.

He said, “We will continue our protests in a peaceful way, we will not harm anyone during our protests. We have reached here peacefully. How embarrassing is this, that the people are forced to take flour with help of chit system.”

“They will not be able to solve our problem at all as leaders that represent us in the assembly, they try to divide us every time, meanwhile they enjoy all the amenities, the cars that they travel in are there because we pay our taxes. This protest is not the last protest, we will keep our peaceful protests alive and strong,” he added.