London, Dec 15 (ANI) — Amjad Ayub Mirza, a political activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), has denounced the region’s institutions as a façade created to mislead the international community. In an interview with ANI, Mirza said PoJK shows the outward signs of self-government — a Legislative Assembly, a Prime Minister, a President, a Supreme Court and an Inspector General of Police — but none of these bodies exercise real authority.
Mirza said the Assembly cannot pass laws or appoint and transfer officials, and that effective decision-making rests with Pakistan’s prime minister and the Pakistani military establishment. “This powerless Legislative Assembly is only there to show the world that Kashmiris have been given the right to govern. But how can you govern when you have no power?” he asked, calling the system “a hoax and a fraud.”
He accused Islamabad of selecting and replacing PoJK political leaders at will, citing the recent appointment of Prime Minister Faisal Rathore as an example of a leader with no independent authority. “They bring in a new prime minister whenever they want. This man has absolutely no power. He is just a puppet,” Mirza said, adding that local people understand this reality.
Mirza also pointed to the economic fallout after the suspension of trade with India following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. He said trade restrictions imposed during former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan’s protest measures hurt PoJK residents, who previously relied on cheaper commodities such as pulses, vegetables, wheat and sugar from Indian Jammu and Kashmir. “Compared to Pakistan, commodities were more affordable here. Now people are angry and frustrated,” he said.
Public anger has produced repeated protests and general strikes organized by the Joint Awami Action Committee as shortages and inflation worsen, Mirza added.
Beyond governance and economics, Mirza accused Pakistan and its military of systematically exploiting PoJK’s natural resources. He alleged that control over rivers, forests and rare earth minerals allows resources to be extracted and transported into Pakistan without local oversight. “Every day, trucks loaded with wood, coal and other minerals are smuggled into Pakistan,” he said, adding that no one is permitted to question the extraction.
Mirza contrasted this treatment with that of Jammu and Kashmir, arguing the fundamental difference lies in how each territory’s population and resources are governed and managed.
