Opinion | Why PoJK Is on Roads?

‘‘A state that struggles to govern its own legal territories cannot credibly justify its continued occupation’’

Pakistan has a long-standing habit of making headlines, but rarely for reasons the world admires. This time is no different. Once again, Pakistan has drawn global attention this time for the territories it illegally occupies: Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Shamelessly, it continues to label these regions as “Azad Kashmir,” a name that stands in stark contrast to the reality on the ground. For decades, Pakistan has deliberately deprived PoJK of its basic rights, unfair political rights, genuine representation and essential facilities. Despite the region’s vast natural resources, the people continue to suffer from chronic shortages of electricity, poor educational infrastructure, inadequate healthcare facilities, and severely underdeveloped roads and public services. Hospitals lack doctors, medicines, and equipment, while schools and colleges remain neglected and underfunded. Basic infrastructure that could improve daily life and create economic opportunities has been systematically ignored, pushing the region deeper into poverty and backwardness.

Over time, this economic deprivation and political exclusion have led to widespread protests and growing public anger. Citizens, including students, traders, workers, and civil society groups, have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand electricity, fair taxation, employment opportunities, and basic dignity. These protests have largely been peaceful, reflecting the desperation of people seeking rights rather than confrontation. However, the state’s response has been harsh and violent. Peaceful demonstrations have been met with batons, tear gas, live bullets, arbitrary arrests, and prolonged crackdowns, thus amplifying control rather than fair governance.

Pakistan has been occupying the region for more 7 decades and its occupation over PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan is marked by a disturbing pattern of human rights violations that has continued for decades with little international scrutiny. Enforced disappearances have become one of the most feared realities of life in these regions, where activists, students, journalists, and ordinary citizens are often picked up by security agencies without warrants, only to vanish for months or even years. Families are left in agony, moving from police stations to courts, searching for answers that never come. Custodial killings and deaths in detention further deepen this climate of fear, with authorities rarely held accountable and investigations either delayed or deliberately weakened. Torture in custody is widely reported, used as a tool to extract confessions or to break the will of those who question Pakistan’s authority. Sexual abuse, including harassment and assault, has also been reported, particularly against women from marginalized communities, yet victims are silenced through intimidation, social pressure, and the threat of retaliation. Freedom of expression is almost non-existent, as the press operates under constant surveillance and censorship. Journalists who attempt to report on protests, rights violations, or demands for political autonomy face threats, arrests, or bans, forcing many into self-censorship. Social media users are tracked, activists are summoned for questioning, and dissenting voices are routinely labelled as traitors or enemies of the state. Peaceful protests are met with baton charges, arrests, internet shutdowns, and media blackouts, turning basic democratic expression into a punishable act. Laws are selectively used to criminalize criticism, while fear is institutionalized through intelligence networks and collaborators. Citizens live under constant pressure, knowing that speaking out can cost them their freedom, safety, or even their lives. In this environment, civil society cannot function freely, political opposition is crushed, and justice remains out of reach. What Pakistan portrays as governance is, in reality, a system of control sustained through intimidation, repression, and silence, where human dignity is sacrificed to maintain an illusion of stability and authority.

On paper, Pakistan claims that PoJK enjoys autonomy and self-rule, complete with its own flag, anthem, prime minister, and president. However, this autonomy exists only in official documents and public speeches, not in everyday reality. In practice, these institutions function as symbolic structures with no real authority. The so-called leadership in PoJK operates under the direct influence and supervision of the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), acting more as extensions of the security establishment than as representatives of the people. Key decisions related to governance, security, resources, and even political appointments are taken in Islamabad or Rawalpindi, leaving local leaders with little more than ceremonial roles. Despite being controlled by Pakistan, the people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan are denied genuine political representation at the national level. They have no meaningful representation in Pakistan’s National Assembly or Senate, which effectively excludes them from the country’s legislative process. This political limbo ensures that the residents have no voice in laws, budgets, or policies that directly affect their lives. Their status is neither that of a fully integrated province nor that of a truly autonomous region, leaving them trapped in a system where they are governed without consent. This deliberate arrangement allows Pakistan to exercise complete control while avoiding constitutional responsibility, further exposing the falsehood behind the claim of “Azad” or free Kashmir.

With patience reaching its breaking point, the people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan have once again taken to the roads to protest for their basic rights. These protests, led largely by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), are driven by rising inflation, economic exploitation, unfair taxation, and continued human rights abuses. Ordinary citizens students, workers, traders, and families have united under this platform to demand dignity, justice, and relief from policies that have made everyday survival increasingly difficult, in nutshell they demand end of Pakistan’s occupation of their land, lives and resources. Unfortunately, the response of the state has followed a familiar and troubling pattern. History bears witness to the fact that Pakistan has repeatedly chosen repression over reform. Peaceful demonstrations have been met with heavy-handed crackdowns, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and the use of force, including batons and bullets. Instead of engaging with legitimate demands, the authorities have resorted to suppression, further deepening public anger and mistrust. This cycle of protest and violent response continues to expose the harsh reality faced by the people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan’s control.

Pakistan has held these territories against the will of their people, occupying a population of over two million. The so-called freedom it claims to provide is nothing more than a disguise. In truth, PoJK functions like an open prison, where voices are suppressed, rights are denied, and the people live under constant political and administrative control imposed from Islamabad. Locals of PoJK and Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan often draw comparisons across the Line of Control, pointing to the visible differences in development, representation, security, and opportunities. They observe that on the other side of the border, people have greater access to infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic prospects. Roads, power supply, schools, and hospitals are more developed, and citizens enjoy clearer political rights and a greater sense of security. These comparisons have only intensified feelings of deprivation and injustice, as people in PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan question why they continue to lag behind despite their region’s strategic importance and natural resources.

India has consistently advocated for the rights and dignity of the people of PoJK and Gilgit-Baltistan for years, raising concerns about human rights violations and lack of political representation on international platforms. These calls are about drawing attention to the lived realities of millions who remain voiceless under Pakistan’s control. The issue is no longer one that can be ignored or buried under carefully crafted narratives. The international community must now awaken to these realities and hold Pakistan accountable for its actions. Silence only emboldens repression and prolongs suffering. Global institutions, human rights organizations, and democratic nations have a moral responsibility to demand transparency, ensure independent investigations, and support the fundamental rights of the people of PoJK and occupied Gilgit-Baltistan and pressurise Pakistan to revoke it occupation. Without accountability, the cycle of abuse will continue, and the promise of justice will remain unfulfilled.

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