Pakistan leaves no stone unturned to project illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir [IoJK] as a free and prosperous land and has even named this region ‘Azad’ [Free] Kashmir. To keep up pretences and legitimise its illegal occupation, Islamabad also organises ‘all expenses paid’ trips for foreign influencers to IoJK. And while going gaga over when ‘sponsored’ guests parrot the lines fed to them by their hosts, Islamabad chooses to maintain a stoic silence when such guests subsequently reveal the reality.

One such recent guest was US Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar who visited IoJK two years ago and repaid Islamabad for the free hospitality provided by making pro Pakistan and anti-Indian remarks. However, just a week ago, Omar upset the applecart by letting the cat out of the bag by admitting that “Since my colleagues and I raised our concerns about human rights in Pakistan last November, things have only gotten worse.”

Though Omar’s statement was made with reference to the recently conducted elections in Pakistan, it nevertheless reveals the abysmal state of affairs in Pakistan, and IoJK is no exception. No wonder Pakistan’s charade of observing Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 every year impresses no one. Au contraire, things........

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