Major Governance Failures in Pak-occupied Areas of India Spark Massive Protests

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

The territories of Pakistan-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and Pakistan-Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) are experiencing significant governance failures following a series of repressive measures by Pakistani state authorities. The local populations in these occupied territories face daily harassment from security agencies, false criminal and terrorism charges, shortages of essential resources, rampant corruption, land grabs, and increased Chinese involvement, all of which have further escalated tensions in PoJK and PoGB. More concerning is the complete lack of mainstream media coverage to expose these governance failures. As a result, political accountability at the federal level is nonexistent, leaving locals to desperately use social media to reveal their dire circumstances. The goal of Pakistan’s military establishment and federal agencies in PoJK and PoGB appears to be the suppression of dissent and the exploitation of natural resources through repressive measures, with little regard for the well-being of the local population in these occupied territories.

Local traders in PoGB, who rely on goods passing through the Sost Dry Port to China for their livelihoods, have been protesting for several weeks against illegal tax collection, despite a ruling from the local chief court against it. A former Member of the Legislative Assembly warned, “If the tax authorities cannot comply with the court orders, they should leave. If our demands are not met, the situation will worsen. We urge the authorities not to push us into escalating our protest. Such a scenario will call the government into question. We are prepared for a two-day protest during which we will block operations of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the dry port.” For months, PoGB traders have been demanding a fair share of tax revenue from cross-border trade with China. However, federal authorities have sought to keep most of the profits for themselves, without sharing them with the local traders.

Similarly, federal authorities have been misusing the Anti-Terrorism Act and cybercrime laws in the region to silence dissent and suppress freedom of expression. The Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee recently organized a protest rally against the misuse of these laws, under which false charges have been filed against political activists and office-bearers of the organization. Najaf Ali, president of the Awami Action Committee’s Baltistan division, stated that they have been advocating for the basic rights of local people, including uninterrupted electricity and the right to ownership of local lands. However, rather than addressing these public concerns, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been filing fabricated cases against locals who speak out against ongoing land grabs and the issuance of licenses for mineral exploration to non-locals in the region.

While these draconian measures are used to suppress voices of dissent in PoGB, the federal authorities have also neglected to provide clean water and adequate food resources to the local population. A recent study revealed that all water samples collected from the city of Gilgit were “contaminated,” making the water unfit for drinking. Notably, following the 18th Amendment, the responsibility for providing safe drinking water and ensuring its quality falls on the provinces. However, since PoGB is not a full-fledged province, it remains the federal authority’s responsibility to provide safe and clean drinking water to the local population. Ironically, Pakistan is constructing several hydroelectric projects in PoGB with the assistance of Chinese companies.

In another failure of the Pakistani federal authorities, no precautionary measures were taken to protect the lives and resources of the local population during the recent flash floods in the occupied region. As a result, locals now face hardship, with their homes and livelihoods destroyed. It appears that Pakistani state agencies are deliberately undermining the wellbeing of the local population in PoGB while exploiting their resources.

A similar situation exists in PoJK, where locals face daily struggles at the hands of federal agencies. Recently, the core committee of ad-hoc employees from various departments in Muzaffarabad, PoJK, held a protest outside the Central Press Club. The protesters demanded that, while employees in other parts of Pakistan have been granted permanent positions, those in PoJK continue to face unemployment due to the government’s failure to address their plight, forcing them to work on an ad-hoc basis. In 2021, the PoJK assembly passed a law to regularize the employment status of certain categories of contractual, ad-hoc, and temporary government workers. However, the federal government has yet to enforce this legislation, leading to significant frustration among affected employees in PoJK.

Many Kashmiri human rights activists have expressed serious concerns about the ongoing human rights abuses in PoJK. Reports indicate that activists involved in recent protests—demanding reductions in electricity bills and the restoration of subsidies for essentials like flour—are being systematically targeted by Pakistani authorities. Furthermore, incidents of enforced disappearances have sharply increased in PoJK. The abductions of family members, activists, and locals have driven people to the streets in protest. One notable case is that of Raja Mudassir, a PoJK resident, who was abducted by Pakistani security agencies during Ramadan, with his whereabouts still unknown. This has sparked fresh protests across several parts of the occupied region.

Furthermore, local activists claim that China is using PoGB and PoJK as part of a “broader geopolitical strategy.” Over the decades, Beijing has created a one-sided economic and trade dependence on Islamabad. Additionally, many Chinese companies are building dams and other big infrastructure projects in PoGB and PoJK. This has majorly impacted the livelihoods of the local population, who are facing a dire unemployment crisis in the occupied territories.

By increasing its involvement in PoGB and PoJK, China aims to pressure India and advance its regional interests by leveraging Pakistani territory and institutions. However, this strategy is likely to further undermine Pakistan’s democratic institutions while strengthening Beijing’s ties with the Pakistani military and right-wing Islamist groups such as Jamaat-e-Islami. As a result, the local populations in PoGB and PoJK face an uncertain future, as the growing involvement of external actors in these occupied regions continues to erode their rights to free expression and their primary claim to local resources.