PoK: Life in the other side of Kashmir

An elderly Kashmiri woman sits on her bed with her grandchildren at a refugee camp in the Garhi Dopatta town of Pakistan-ruled Azad (free) Kashmir June 10. About 60,000 Kashmiris have been displaced in the Pakistani part of Kashmir after the Indian and Pakistani soldiers clashed at the Line of Control. Pakistan said on Thursday it was not using its close relationship with China as leverage in its dispute with India over Kashmir. Reuters

Kashmir is, and will always be, our paradise. But have we ever thought of what is happening in the other part of paradise, the Kashmir occupied by Pakistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Also read: #Duty and #Disgust: It's time India talked about PoK

Kashmir has been a topic of debate for every Indian citizen. Be it the frequent violations of the Line of Control, the AFSPA, the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, the politics and the recurring terrorism, which recently reared its head in Jammu region. We remain very apprehensive about these issues but what about the so-called Azad Kashmiris, whose fate in Pakistan is palpably worse than their brothers in India.

Pakistan has cried hoarse over human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, pointing fingers at the Army, the police and the paramilitary. But there's no news of Islamabad's version of paradise from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, people continue to bear the human rights violations by the Pakistan military and the non-state actors.

Here are a few things that define PoK and the struggles therein:

What is PoK:

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is known as "Azad"Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. It is under the control of Pakistan since October 22, 1947. It is spread over 13,297 km with a population of four million. India claims control over PoK but the area is governed by Pakistan after the Pakistani Army and Afridi tribal invaders attacked the princely state of Kashmir, which was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, soon after India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, and since then it is under Islamabad's control.

"Azad" Kashmir's capital Muzaffarabad has been in the news for disturbing reasons. It is infamous for terrorist organizations, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba, mushrooming there. The most disturbing part was that 26/11 attacker Ajmal Kasab underwent training here. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ruled by a President, Prime Minister and a council which is totally dependent on Pakistan. It has no power of its own. It last went to the polls in 2011.

- A recent report on the web reveals that around 60 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists are being trained there and 42 terror camps have already been found near Muzaffarabad. Even after facing pressure from the international community, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is still the hub of terrorists.

- Political analyst and Institute of Kashmir Affairs director Dr Shabir Choudhry told Big News Network, "We in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir cannot even complain that we are occupied or expose Pakistani abuses and exploitation of our resources."

- PoK shares its boundary with China, Afghanistan, Jammu and Kashmir but continues to remain backward. The leaders from PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan raised human rights issues during 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Issues like extra-judicial killings, terrorism, cases of disappearances were discussed.

- According to an Indian Defence Review report, Shias who ruled the Gilgit-Balistan region have now been reduced to a minority. It says Sunnis from Pakistan enjoy better job avenues. Also the construction of Diamer Bhasa Dam can inundate areas and lead to floods.

- Ecology is also under threat due to deforestation and the rise of smugglers. One cannot forget the 2014 floods which highlights the apathy. Since this region was illegally taken over by Pakistan, it continues to be ignored at many levels.

- According to a report in Defence Forum India, a Pakistan Human Rights Watch report revealed that ISI and army controls political life in Azad Kashmir.

- There is hardly an active independent media in PoK due to bureaucratic interference. The lone radio station allowed to operate was Azad Kashmir Radio. In fact, during the 2012 earthquake also, the Pakistani Army controlled most of the landlines.

- PoK has a large refugee population which is monitored by militants and they cannot enjoy their freedom of expression due to this interference.

- Article 4(7)(2) of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act of 1974, states: 'No person or party in Azad Jammu and Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate against, or take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to, the ideology of the State's accession to Pakistan." (As reported by the Defence Forum India report.)

- It also quotes the 2006 Human Rights Watch report on Kashmir by a Muzaffarabad resident, "Pakistan says they are our friends and India is our enemy. I agree India is our enemy, but with friends like these, who needs enemies?"

- In 2010, Gilgit-Baltistan United Movement (GBUM) chairperson Manzoor Hussain Parwana criticised the Pakistan army for killing four innocents and destroying houses during earthquake relief operations.