Hundreds of displaced people from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on Friday staged a protest here against the alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army on residents of the occupied region and urged the government of India to work towards its liberation.
The protest, organised by SOS International, an organisation advocating the cause of displaced PoJK people, was led by its chairman Rajiv Chuni in Jammu. The demonstrators carried placards and raised slogans against Pakistan and its military leadership while demanding that PoJK be integrated with India.
Chuni alleged that Pakistan had subjected the people of PoJK to repression and exploitation and appealed to the Indian government to "free PoJK from Pakistan's occupation and integrate it with India." "We urge the government of India to take steps to free PoJK from occupation of Pakistan and integrate it with our country", he told reporters.
He claimed that the people of the occupied region had realised that Pakistan was "not trustworthy", echoing the concerns expressed by those who migrated from the area during the Partition in 1947.
Questioning Pakistan's conduct in the region, Chuni alleged that despite Islamabad portraying PoJK as a separate entity with its own institutions, mainstream Pakistani political parties contested elections there.
"If the region is truly independent, why are Pakistani political parties contesting elections there? Why are the people not allowed to decide their own future?" he asked. Chuni also alleged that Pakistan was exploiting the region's natural resources, including water, electricity, tourism and minerals, while local residents received little benefit in return and were forced to migrate.
Expressing solidarity with the people of PoJK, he said they were fighting for their rights despite facing hardships and loss of lives.
He urged the Centre to support their cause and reiterated the demand for the liberation of the occupied territory, saying displaced families wished to return to their ancestral homes.
