Opinion | One Kashmir, Two Realities: Development, Rights, and the Lessons of History

Pakistan’s political and military establishment has described Kashmir as its “jugular vein” (shah rag) for decades of unrest and terrorism they initiated in Kashmir India, presenting the issue as central to its national identity and foreign policy. Countless speeches, slogans, and political campaigns have revolved around Kashmir. Yet beyond the rhetoric lies a question that deserves honest reflection: what has this narrative delivered to the people living under Pakistan’s control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)?

PoK’s recent happenings have brought this question into sharp focus. Thousands of people have marched in the streets, demanding economic relief, accountability and basic rights. Protests are being held in a number of towns, including Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot and Mirpur, reports say. The unrest intensified after a security sweep that reportedly left civilians dead and injured, arrested and unable to move freely. Internet disruptions and roadblocks and efforts to prevent demonstrations have only added fuel to the public frustration.

At the core of these protests is not a demand for conflict but a demand for dignity. “The demands of ordinary citizens are for affordable living conditions, responsive governance, economic opportunities and respect for their rights. Their voices speak to concerns that are universal and basic to human development.

The developments in PoK also highlight a wider contradiction. Pakistan has for years professed to be a champion of Kashmiris. However, when PoK residents themselves voice grievances and seek justice, many find their demands met not with dialogue but coercion. This creates difficult questions of governance, representation and accountability in the region.

What’s most striking is the contrast seen across the Line of Control.

On the Indian side, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a big leap in infrastructure development recently. Images coming out of PoK show protests, unrest and allegations of repression. Engineers celebrated the breakthrough of the Zojila Tunnel, a strategically important project that will be one of Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnels when completed. The tunnel will enable all-weather connectivity between Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, cutting travel time and ensuring access throughout the year.

The Zojila Tunnel is not only an engineering marvel but more than that. Infrastructure projects are about people in the end. Reliable connectivity means easier access to hospitals, schools, markets and employment opportunities. It means safer travel in severe winters. It means faster emergency response. It means greater economic integration. Development may not be the stuff of headlines, but its impact on everyday life can be profound.

The distinction between the two realities is instructive.

On the one hand you have citizens protesting for basic rights and economic security. On the other, huge investments are coming in for long-term development and connectivity. One story is of instability and public discontent; the other of efforts to improve infrastructure and expand opportunity.

The juxtaposition also makes you think about the history of Kashmir itself.

Kashmir has been experiencing violence, militancy, terrorism and political instability for decades. Thousands of innocent people died. Families were ripped apart. The growth was arrested. Children grew up in a milieu of uncertainty and fear. The most significant casualties of the long drawn unrest were not governments or political actors but the common Kashmiri whose dreams for peace and prosperity were consistently overshadowed by violence.

A number of observers have argued that Pakistan’s Kashmir policy has been inclined towards sustaining a political dispute, rather than promoting the social and economic development of the people in the areas it controls. In this sense, it has frequently seemed that attention has been paid to the symbolic value of Kashmir, while the practical needs of the Kashmiris themselves have been neglected.

There is an old saying about ‘ watering the leaves and cutting the roots’. If it was so important then the number one priority should have been the welfare, rights and development of the people. But the continued turmoil in PoK is an indication that there is still a feeling amongst many of the residents that they are neither being heard nor being served. The lesson emerging from the present moment is clear: slogans cannot substitute for governance. Political rhetoric cannot replace economic opportunity. Emotional narratives cannot compensate for a lack of accountability, development, or public trust.

People ultimately judge systems not by the promises they make but by the conditions they create. They judge them by the quality of schools available to their children, the accessibility of healthcare, the availability of jobs, the security of their communities, and the respect shown for their voices and rights.

The aspirations of the people of PoK are fundamentally human aspirations. They seek peace, stability, dignity, education, opportunity, and a better future for their children. These aspirations transcend political boundaries and ideological divisions.

Today, the story unfolding across the two sides of the LoC presents a powerful contrast. In one region, people are demanding rights and accountability amid unrest. In the other, a major infrastructure project symbolizes connectivity and future growth. The difference is not merely geographical; it reflects two distinct trajectories.

The latest brutal violence in PoJK has reminded the world of one undeniable reality: Pakistan cannot claim to be the sympathiser or guardian of the people of any part of Kashmir. The people of Jammu & Kashmir, India have already witnessed decades of suffering through terrorism, turmoil, violence, and radicalisation that were fuelled and sustained through networks of training, shelter, and support operating from PoJK. Instead of nurturing peace, development, and human welfare, Pakistan invested in conflict, leaving generations of Kashmiris to bear the consequences. Today, the same pattern of brutality is being witnessed in PoJK itself, where people asking for their rights and justice are being met with force, repression, internet shutdowns, and restrictions.

The people of PoJK must understand that they are not merely spectators to this reality but its victims. They must realise that Pakistan’s policies have neither empowered them nor secured their future. It is time for the people of PoJK to recognise the barbarism, exploitation, and atrocities inflicted upon them and to raise their voices collectively against this injustice. They should make strong representations before the international community, human rights bodies, and democratic forums, exposing the ground realities of life under Pakistan’s control. The time has come to demand freedom from repression, to seek dignity and development, and to save PoJK from the continuing military raj and authoritarian control that have denied its people peace, prosperity, and their fundamental rights for far too long.

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