Portraying itself as a mediator between Iran and the United States amid tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel, while simultaneously presenting itself as a champion of a “principled stand” on Kashmir and Palestine and the sole custodian of the Islamic nuclear bomb within the Muslim world, Pakistan has exposed what critics describe as a stark contradiction. While projecting itself as a defender of oppressed Muslims abroad, it stands accused of presiding over the repression of men, women, and children in Pakistan-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where residents participating in a peaceful sit-in in Rawalakot were reportedly subjected to a harsh crackdown.

Pakistani state institutions—including the Pakistan Rangers, local police, the Punjab Constabulary, the Frontier Constabulary, and plainclothes personnel allegedly linked to intelligence agencies—did not hesitate, according to protesters and local accounts, to open fire on men, women, and children participating in peaceful demonstrations in Rawalakot. The protesters were demanding justice following the killing of a young activist associated with the now-banned Joint People’s Action Committee (JPAC).

Although the government has officially acknowledged only nine deaths, reports from activists and local sources suggest that the number of people killed and injured may be significantly higher. The very people whose “right to self-determination” Pakistan claims to champion on international forums were instead confronted with bloodshed and repression in the streets of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “Does a lawyer kill his client?” asked a London-based Kashmiri YouTuber in response to the events.

The scenic region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, known for its lush green mountains and crystal-blue waters, now bears, according to critics, the appearance of a territory under occupation. “Kashmir Jannat-e-Nazir,” as it is affectionately known, has, they argue, been transformed into a living hell for many of its residents.

Until recently, Pakistan vigorously criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to revoke the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir through the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, as well as the unrest that followed. Today, however, Pakistan-administered Kashmir is witnessing growing unrest directed at an administration widely perceived as being controlled from Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the latter being home to........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)