The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed Pakistan’s allegations linking India to the unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Pakistan’s claims were fabricated to divert attention from its own failures and human rights abuses. Jaiswal emphasized that the protests in PoK were a result of Pakistan’s long-standing policy of economic exploitation and denial of rights in the region.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister had blamed India for the violence in PoK, which was strongly refuted by the MEA. Jaiswal urged the international community to hold Pakistan accountable for its actions and human rights violations in PoK. He highlighted the use of police brutality, internet blackouts, and lethal force against civilians by the Pakistani state in response to the protests.
India had previously criticized Pakistan for spreading fake news and videos to cover up its shortcomings and human rights abuses during the crackdown on protesters in PoK. The ongoing clashes between law enforcement and protesters in Rawalakot city of PoK have resulted in casualties. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) was declared a proscribed group by Pakistani authorities, leading to further tensions in the region.
International human rights organizations, activists, and the Kashmiri diaspora have condemned the killings in PoK, urging global attention to the alleged abuses by Pakistani authorities in the region.
