- PoK protests continued; leader accused Pakistani army of arming people.
- Protesters labeled terrorists; leader cited armed JeM rally.
- Protesters demand dialogue, warning Pakistan to vacate PoK.
The anti-government protests in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) entered their 24th day, with demonstrators at the Eidgah grounds in Rawalkot levelling fresh allegations against the Pakistani government and military.
Addressing the gathering, Sardar Aman Khan, leader of the Awami Action Committee, alleged that the Pakistani Army had armed people in PoK and accused the government of supporting terrorist organisations.
‘They Call Us Terrorists’
According to the protesters, the PoK government has declared the Awami Action Committee and 150 people associated with the protests that began on June 9 as terrorists.
Responding to the designation, Aman Khan said, “They call us terrorists. I say this in the presence of the media present here, and with human rights organizations as witnesses, that the Pakistani army itself put guns in the hands of Kashmiris, and they call us terrorists.”
Reference To Jaish-e-Mohammed Rally
Aman Khan also referred to a Jaish-e-Mohammed rally held in Rawalkot on February 5 last year, alleging that armed participants openly marched through the city carrying swords and AK-47 rifles while issuing threats against India.
He alleged that the event demonstrated the patronage and protection extended to terrorist organisations by the Pakistani government and its institutions.
Challenge To Pakistani Authorities
Referring to the Deputy Commissioner of Rawalkot, Aman Khan said, “Deputy Commissioner Rawalkot, you used to organize rallies here with guns and swords. Do you remember? And you will call us terrorists. All these people (protesters) are heirs of this land.”
The protesters also reiterated that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir should not be treated as Pakistan’s territory.
Warning To The Pakistan Government
Addressing the gathering, Aman Khan said Pakistan viewed PoK as a territory it sought to control, but asserted that its people were not and would not become slaves of Pakistan.
The protesters warned the Shehbaz Sharif government that it should engage in dialogue and accept their demands.
They said that if the 80,000 people gathered in Rawalkot from different parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were to march towards Muzaffarabad, the issue would no longer be limited to their 38 demands, but would instead become a movement demanding that Pakistan vacate Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
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