PoK: Against Army & Administration

The international community also has a role to play. It’s time to move beyond routine statements and take a closer look at the realities of PoK, Human rights organizations, diplomatic missions, and global media must ensure that the voices of the region are heard.

- SYED JAHANZEEB

To understand this growing dissatisfaction, one must first understand the unique tragedy of PoK. While Pakistan has always projected the region as its pride and an integral part of its national narrative, on the ground the people have had a difficult story. For decades, the people were treated like second-class citizens. They have lived under the constant presence of the military, not as protectors, but as overlords. Their natural resources have been siphoned, their political influence delimited, and their economic growth deliberately suppressed in the name of “strategic interests”. In recent months, frustration has boiled over. In Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, Bagh, and several other towns across the region, people have been taking to the streets in numbers not seen before. What makes these protests significant is not just their size, but their boldness.