A significant PoJK leader, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, has accused the Pakistani government and military of oppressing the local population. He emphasized that the region, despite being called ‘Azad Kashmir,’ is not free. Mir stated that the Pakistani government is suppressing the voices of its own people and silencing the media. He compared the actions of the government to those of a witch. Mir criticized General Asim Munir for labeling Hindus as ‘infidels’. Mir also claimed that Pakistan blames others for human rights violations while simultaneously committing them in PoJK. Mir pointed out that the Pakistani forces are killing their own people, therefore cannot claim to represent them. He emphasized the hypocrisy of the Pakistani government, which criticizes India but ignores its own issues. Mir stated that even if the Indian government is ‘infidel’, the Pakistani government is killing its own people. Mir says that the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ is a false statement, as the region is not free. The Pakistani government frequently suspends the media and the internet to control protests in Kashmir. These actions have led to a lack of freedom of expression, making the term ‘Azad Kashmir’ a sham. Recent violent protests against the Pakistani government in PoJK resulted in approximately six deaths. Over the past three days, at least four people have died in the Dhirkot area of Bagh district, with at least two deaths in Muzaffarabad, and two in Mirpur. The protests also resulted in over 200 injuries among civilians. Three police officers were also killed, and at least nine others were injured.
