India’s stand in UN on POK
India several times in United Nations warned Pakistan to vacate its illegally occupied areas of Kashmir. Counsellor at Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, R Madhusudan said that entire J&K & Ladakh will always be an integral part of India. Pakistan is responsible for cross border terrorism in Kashmir. India also mentioned that Pakistan has history of sheltering, supporting and aiding terrorists. Previously on 33rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, India had drawn special attention to human rights violation in POK. Indian representative to UN Mr. Ajit Kumar explained how Pakistan had illegally occupied the territories of Kashmir. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir had become a global hub for exporting terrorists. India’s stand was clear that India will continue to take steps to respond to cross-border terrorism as it has done in URI surgical strike.
In Pakistan terrorists get free pass to spread terror. The minorities face persecution and they can not practice their religion. Even the Shia community face attacks in Pakistan. There are several incidents where the Hazara Shia community is attacked in Pakistan. Pakistan is a country which provides training, finance and arms to the terrorists. That is why Pakistan is in the grey list of Financial Action Task Force.
History of POK
Maharaja Hari Singh was the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir in time of partition. He refused to join Pakistan or India and decided to keep Kashmir as an independent state. On October 21 1947, Pashtun tribes supported by Pakistan military attacked Jammu and Kashmir. Maharaja requested for the help of armed forces of India but from Indian side the condition was to sign the “Instrument of Accession”. Maharaja Hari Singh at last signed the “Instrument of Accession” and handed over Control of Defense to the Indian Union. After that Indian Armed Forces immediately moved to Srinagar and war started between India and Pakistan. After the war is over the areas captured remained with Pakistan which is called POK now.
Present condition of POK
The area which Pakistan have illegally captured, is been bifurcated into Azad Jammu Kashmir and Northern Areas of Gilgit Baltistan. The area of Gilgit Baltistan shares border with several Asian countries. It gives access to Afghanistan and it can be used to reach Iran also. Kashmir is the main reason of dispute between the two nuclear armed states of India and Pakistan. The federal government of POK every time neglected the regions development. The area suffers from very poor infrastructure and the people there have very less resources. The area lacks modern hospital, school, roads and necessary infrastructure for people. Some ground level activist think that the military of Pakistan have kept the region underprivileged.
The area does not have proper infrastructure for industrial development. For financial resources it is completely dependent on its federal government.
Demographic Change and Shia Community of Gilgit Baltistan
We cannot forget the 1988 Gilgit massacre. It is nothing but a state sponsored killing of the Shia community in the district of Gilgit. Pakistani occupied and administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan had faced discrimination by the Pakistani government, especially the shia community. This sectarian discrimination had started from the time of Zia-Ul-Haq’s tenure of military dictatorship. He tried to convert Pakistan into a conservative Islamic state. In Gilgit-Baltistan the local Shia community had faced discrimination and is reduced to less than 50 percent. People of Gilgit-Baltistan do not have any political and constitutional rights. Their voice and peaceful protest is been suppressed by Pakistani law enforcement agencies. In the disputed territory of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan gifted Sakshgam Valley to China without any consultation with India.
Lastly, we can say Pakistan already is struggling with its debts. Kashmir is an integral part of India and after abrogation of article 370, the day is not far when we will take over the areas of Kashmir which Pakistan have illegally occupied.
