New Delhi, Aug 20 — The Pakistani establishment has been further exposed after the residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) intensified their protests across the region.
The footprint of the protesters in PoK has only widened and this has exposed Islamabad’s claim that the protests are confined only to Rawalot. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) has completely rejected Islamabad’s claim and said that the protests are now spread across PoK. The JAAC said that the mobilisation has now spread across Sudhanoti.
The JAAC has also announced a long march to Muzaffarabad. The committee said that it would increase demonstrations through rallies across the region and would continue to press for better economic conditions and guaranteed constitutional rights.
An official said that this determination by the JAAC and the people of PoK has put Islamabad in a spot. The Pakistan establishment has not seen this kind of defiance when it comes to the PoK region. Islamabad which had once branded the protesters as terrorists are now trying to pacify them by calling them patriots. The people of PoK this time, will not walk into this trap like they have done several times in the past, the official said.
Another official said what has stunned Islamabad is the manner in which the protests have spread. Earlier, these protests were restricted only to Rawalot, but this time it is different. It has exposed Islamabad and the army in particular as there are no signs of the protests dying down.
What the JAAC has managed to do is to take the protests beyond Rawalot. The scale of escalation and the spread of the protests has rattled the establishment as they did not expect this situation to escalate to such a level, the official explained.
Pakistan watchers say that the protests, its spread and duration have given the establishment plenty to think about. The establishment realises that they cannot run PoK by rigging elections and not delivering on their promises
These protests have also validated India’s stand on PoK. India has maintained the people of PoK have been suppressed by the administration and have been denied basic rights and facilities.
Pakistan had always countered India’s stance, but these protests have exposed Islamabad thoroughly, the experts also say.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that Pakistan has lost out on precious time. While it does understand that the problem at hand is immense, Islamabad also does not want to lower its ego and heed to the protesters. This explains why the protests have dragged for over two months and there is no solution in sight.
The official said that Pakistan is playing with danger. All major regions like Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP), Balochistan and now PoK are on the boil. The people of Balochistan and KP very much resonate with what the protesters in PoK are saying. There is every likelihood that all may join hands to battle the establishment. There is every chance of a situation like this emerging and once that happens, the Pakistan establishment will have to fight a much larger battle.
An official said that the situation in PoK is alarming for Islamabad. Despite the crackdown by the Pakistan Rangers, the protesters have not given in. The fact that the protesters in Plandari have decided to return and be part of the sit in at Rawalkot only shows that the movement has been re-energised.
The public defiance is only growing with each passing day and this clearly suggests that after a long time the establishment is on the back foot when it comes to the PoK region, the official also noted.