Opinion | PoK in Crisis: Rising Discontent and the Demand for Rights in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir

In a land where exploitation has long overshadowed development, where demands for rights have been met with silence or suppression, the people of PoK are finally starting to rise.

There’s a growing storm brewing just across the Line of Control, one that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves. Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), long portrayed by Islamabad as a “disputed territory” awaiting resolution, is now increasingly becoming a region in crisis — a crisis born not from the so-called conflict with India, but from within. What we are witnessing is not merely frustration; it is a deep-rooted discontent, a boiling over of decades of neglect, economic exploitation, and denial of basic democratic rights. People in PoK are now openly questioning the legitimacy of Pakistani control and, in many areas, voices demanding independence or integration with India are being whispered — and sometimes shouted — with surprising boldness.

It didn’t happen overnight. For decades, Pakistan treated PoK as a strategic asset rather than a region with its own identity, aspirations, and rights. While Islamabad spoke grandly about Kashmir at global forums, it systematically denied those very freedoms and opportunities to the people living in the territory it controls. Unlike Pakistan’s other provinces, PoK does not have the same constitutional rights. There’s a puppet government installed there, but real power rests with bureaucrats and military handlers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This duality — where a region is spoken for but not listened to — has created a yawning gap between the people of PoK and the state that claims to represent them.

What has particularly irked the locals is the visible and growing exploitation of their natural resources — especially water, forests, and minerals — without corresponding development or economic benefits. The hydroelectric projects built on the Neelum and Jhelum rivers have been celebrated in Pakistan’s energy circles, yet the electricity generated from these dams seldom lights homes in PoK itself. Entire towns face power outages for hours, while their resources fuel cities hundreds of kilometers away. This kind of resource extraction — where the region’s wealth is used to develop Punjab or Sindh while the local population remains poor and under-served — has created a feeling of being colonized rather than governed.

Add to that the heavy military presence. In Gilgit-Baltistan, which is administratively distinct but suffers from the same neglect, the situation is no better. Journalists are silenced. Activists disappear. The education system is crumbling, and there’s little to no investment in health care. While Islamabad boasts about infrastructure initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), locals watch as roads and tunnels are constructed not for their benefit, but for the movement of Chinese goods and Pakistani soldiers. What they see is not progress, but occupation in the guise of development.

Recently, protests have surged — and this time, they’ve taken on a tone that should alarm Islamabad. These are not just economic protests over wheat prices or fuel shortages. They reflect a deeper existential angst. The youth, in particular, are increasingly vocal about the need for genuine autonomy, for constitutional recognition, and even — in some circles — for complete independence. The very narrative that Pakistan has used for decades against India is now being turned around by the people of PoK themselves. They are asking: why are we being denied the rights we are told Kashmiris in India are fighting for?

This rising tide of discontent is not just visible in street protests or angry slogans; it’s evident in poetry, music, and social media activism coming out of PoK. The new generation is more connected, more aware, and less afraid. They ask as to why is Pakistan still treating PoK like a colonial possession?

It’s an uncomfortable truth for many in Pakistan, especially those who’ve built their political capital around the Kashmir narrative. But the reality is, PoK is slipping out of their ideological control. When protests broke out in cities like Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and even in Gilgit, they weren’t crushed immediately because they weren’t just about slogans. They were about survival. About the lack of jobs. About the constant rolling blackouts. About the lack of local representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly. About the missing persons. About the fact that an entire generation is growing up feeling abandoned and lied to.

Let’s also talk about the demographic changes. Many in PoK are concerned that their land is being sold to outsiders — often retired army officials or business elites from other provinces — which changes the cultural and political dynamics of the region. There’s growing fear that their identity is being erased systematically, under the garb of development and security. Add to that the rising influence of religious extremism, often sponsored or tolerated by the establishment, and you have a perfect recipe for long-term instability.

Now, more than ever, voices are being raised — not just for better governance, but for outright change in status. While the demand for independence is not yet a mainstream political movement, it is certainly not fringe anymore. More people are asking: if India and Pakistan both claim us, don’t we have a right to decide our own fate? Isn’t it time for PoK to choose its own path, free from both sides? Or at the very least, shouldn’t the people of PoK be allowed to speak, vote, and live with the dignity promised to them by international law?

The world cannot continue to ignore what’s happening in PoK. If it truly cares about human rights and regional stability, it must start holding Pakistan accountable for its decades-long mismanagement of this region. PoK is not just a pawn on a geopolitical chessboard. It is home to real people with real dreams and voices that are getting louder by the day. The discontent is no longer simmering — it’s reaching a boil. And unless Islamabad changes course — not with slogans, but with real reforms — it may soon find that it has lost the very region it claimed to protect in the name of Kashmir.

In a land where exploitation has long overshadowed development, where demands for rights have been met with silence or suppression, the people of PoK are finally starting to rise. Their cry is simple: “Give us our due, or let us go.” How long can the world ignore that?

Author can be reached on syedjahanzeeb2@gmail.com