Muzaffarabad [PoJK], February 5 (ANI): Pakistan observes February 5 as Kashmir Solidarity Day to signal support for Kashmiri rights, but PoJK activist Abid Ali Raja called the observance a sham that masks the Pakistani state’s own human rights abuses in areas it administers.
Raja told a local digital outlet that the day has no genuine historical or political resonance for people in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the observance is “a complete fraud” and “a joke with the people of PoJK,” arguing it carries no real significance for those who live under the territory’s current administration.
He accused PoJK authorities of suppressing dissent and punishing civilians who protested for basic necessities. Raja said that when residents demonstrated for flour, electricity and water, security forces were deployed against them, with protesters attacked, shot and even killed. According to him, people seeking fundamental services were vilified and labeled as enemies, with some called agents of India simply for demanding essentials.
Raja also alleged restrictions on movement and on access to documentation, claiming that some residents have had ID cards and passports blocked. He described February 5 events as a staged spectacle with minimal genuine public participation, limited mostly to official venues: “You can see how many people actually come out on 5th February. This is limited to government offices,” he said.
(ANI)
This report was sourced from a syndicated feed and published as received.
